Restarting Life in Another Grim Dark World, Emperor Save My Soul
by fkingluvpizza
Summary: During the 13th Black Crusade, a commissar fights the endless waves of Chaos. Only in death does his duty end... but does it? Commissar Forschner must go through the grim dark settings of Re: Zero in place of Subaru, fighting his way through while searching for answers. I do not own Re: Zero or Warhammer 40K(including the cover) All rights to their respective owners.
1. Chapter 1: 13th Black Crusade

Commissar Viktor Forschner's ears were ringing from a recent artillery blast that exploded around his area. The disorientated commissar raised himself, trying to shake off the ringing noise. A guardsman ran up to him and started yelling something. The sound of artillery and explosions made it hard to hear what the lad was saying. The guardsman tried to raise his voice, only to have his head torn off by shrapnel. Commissar stared blankly for a brief second but regained his senses. He raised his bolt pistol and power cutlass and plunged back into combat. A Traitor Marine was tearing away at a group of guardsmen. The frightened guardsmen panicked and frantically shot at the marine, who shrugged off the hail of super charged laser and ripped the guardsmen into ribbons. Commissar Forschner jumped at the back of the Traitor Marine, thrusting his power cutlass into its power source. Unfazed, the marine turned to face the commissar. The commissar backed off while firing his bolt pistol into the marine's body. The marine stepped forward and raised his power axe.

Commissar yelled "For Cadia!" while firing the remainder of his bolt pistol into the marine. The bolter round dug into the crack in the marine's helmet, shattering his face in two. The marine swung his axe, regardless, at the commissar. By the blessings of the Emperor, a guardsman witnessed the commissar in danger and pulled him away from the Traitor Marine. The almost faceless marine got up and charged once more at the commissar. A few plasma roundss forced the marine to his knees. The commissar ran up and drove his cutlass in between the marine's neck. He, then, pulled his blade out and backed off before the dying marine made his final swing.

Cultists of Chaos came waves after waves, but the 8th Cadians stood their ground. They had to, to give the Lord Castellan a chance to escape. The commissar felled the cultists over and over again. The guardsmen around him, inspired by his bravery, gave a zealous last spurt.

Over the sounds of booming artillery and gunshots, a guardsman was heard to say, "Our Lord Castellan had successfully made it out of here! Cadia stands!"

Rejoiced, Commissar Forschner smiled in satisfaction. He can finally die without regret, knowing that Cadia stands a chance with the Lord Castellan on her side. He yelled into the sky, thanking the Emperor in his heart, and continued to cut down any heretic that dared get close.

Just then, another guardsman yelled, "By the Emperor! Traitor Terminators!" Over the heads of swarming cultists, the towering Chaos Terminators of the Black Legion marched towards the Cadian defenses. Commissar Forschner made his final prayer to the Emperor, knowing that the lasting thing that he will do on this fortress world was to die fighting. He chuckled and raised his blade.

"Fight, guardsmen!" he yelled. The guardsmen also knew that there were no retreat. Being captured by Chaos only meant a grueling death or, even worse, torture. They, too, yelled and charged into the unending waves of Chaos.

As the commissar was fighting, he found trembling guardsman on the ground, shielding his head. He raised his bolt pistol to make an example out of the coward, then he changed his mind. He offered his hand to the fallen guardsman and helped him on his feet.

"There are no bullets to waste on you today, guardsman," he said, rather calmingly. The guardsman nodded and rejoined the fight, only to get his head blown off by a traitor lasgun.

In the midst of raging battle, the commissar shot off a few more rounds into the Chaos cultists then realized that he had run out of bullets. He tried to reload, but a large hand grabbed him, raising him off the ground. It was a Traitor Terminator Marine. The commissar struggled to pull his sword arm free in vein. A Traitor Terminator made a heinous laugh and began squeezing the life out of the commissar. Commissar gagged and threw up blood. He felt several of his bones being crushed and puncturing his organs. His vision started to fade. _At last_ , he thought, _my duty is done._

The commissar regained his vision. By his surprise, there was a man in front of him, holding up an apple.

"What? So you want this apple or not?" he asked in a threatening voice.


	2. Chapter 2: Another World

The commissar stared blankly at the dark-skinned man with a claw-marked scar on his face holding what seemed like a fruit; he appeared to be a fruit vendor. He understood the vendor's language but could not read the any of the written signs. The man offered his product again.

"So are you buying-"

Commissar Forschner cut him off and asked, "Where am I, citizen?"

"What?" the vendor asked in confusion, "If you don't know, why were you staring at my products for so long?"

"Answer my question, citizen!" the commissar demanded, raising his voice, "Where is this?"

"Why the Kingdom of Lugnica, of course. What are you, a fool?" the vendor scoffed.

Irked by mockery from a merely imperial citizen, the commissar lashed out and grabbed the vendor by his collar. The commissar's eyes showed that the vendor's next words can decide his life or death.

"Do not TRIFLE with me, citizen. I am asking you which planet this is," the commissar clarified, raising his bolt pistol to the vendor's head.

"Hey! You need to calm down," the vendor yelled, startled, "What is that thing anyway?"

The commissar lowered his weapon and gave the man a chance to talk.

"Look, I don't know what you mean by this 'Planet'. This is the Kingdom of Lugnica. I don't know what more you want to know."

The commissar turned away to think. By some chance, he woke in a different place. He had heard the rumors of the effects of the Warp, like the Warp drive used in cruisers and other vessels, how a malfunction could send people to strange worlds and times. Perhaps he was sent to a feral world, savages disconnected from the Imperium and the Immortal Emperor of Mankind.

"Is there a planetary defense force around here? An Imperial Guard post?" the commissar switched his tone.

"Guard house? Yeah. You follow up that road, to that castle," the vendor answered.

"You have my gratitude, citizen. I shall forgive your misdoings for this time, for you had no way of knowing who I am. May the Emperor guide your soul, even in this lost world," Commissar Forschner replied as he took off towards the direction that the vendor pointed out to.

As he walked, Forschner discovered that a massive abhuman populations, like the felinids, dwelled in this world. Some were borderline Xenos, having the appearance of Kroots and such. It was strange, but he decided to pay no mind. Not too long after leaving the vendor, Forschner spotted a silver haired female speaking with two guards. They were hardly armoured, dressed in fancy white garments. Commissar walked up to ask them questions. He overheard their conversation as he approached them.

"It's an invaluable piece of item. Please help me find that insignia," the silver hair female requested.

"Guardsmen!" the commissar called out, "I am commissar of the 8th Cadian Regiment, the Lord Castellan's Own. Lead me to your post, or the nearest communication method."

The men and the female standing next to them seemed confused.

"I gave you an order, guardsmen," the commissar confirmed.

A guard stepped up and asked the demanding commissar a question instead.

"An order? Are you lost, citizen?" he mocked.

"Citizen?" Forschner jumped, "You dare refer to an officer of the Imperial Guard as 'citizen' and ignore his order? Your disrespect is noted and will be punished accordingly!"

Forschner raised his voice. Threatened, the guards took a defensive stance and hovered their hands above their swords.

"Treachery! You dare challenge me?" the commissar screamed; he drew his power cutlass from its scabbard and prepared for combat.

The two guards charged at the commissar with their blades drawn. The commissar shot a round into one of the guards, exploding his head. The thundering noise of the bolt pistol and the bloody corpse caused a massive panic in the streets. The second guard's sword clashed with the power cutlass, resulting the sword being split into two. The commissar cut down the other guard with ease, leaving only a bloody mess. He turned to see the terrified silver haired female conjuring some sort of magic and discovered that she had pointy ears.

"Your trickery will not work on me, Eldar witch!" the commissar yelled. He shot his bolt pistol at the female. Blood splattered as the female fell. Satisfied in his victory, Forschner smiled and awaited loyal guardsmen to arrive and resolve the situation. To his surprise, the air around began to freeze. Behind him, there was a giant being in the shape of a beast staring down at the commissar.

 _DIE!_ The commissar heard, as his head dropped to the floor.

The commissar regained his vision to see the same fruit vendor before him.

"What? So you want this apple or not?" he asked in a familiar tone.

The commissar's eyes widened in disbelief as whispered to himself, "By the Emperor, what is happening to me?"


	3. Chapter 3: Searching for Answers

Forschner thought that an Eldar spell or some sort of sadistic drug was the reason for his revival. He had heard of the drugs of the Eldar dark kin, making you relive your unsightly death over and over again, prolonging your torture. Could it been that he was captured by the dark kin at one point of his campaign? Or did he really die, again?

"You!" commissar called the vendor, the same man with the claw-marked scar on his face, "Have you not seen me before?"

"No," he answered without hesitation.

"Are you sure?" commissar confirmed.

"Look, if someone dressed like you ever came by before, I would remember. Are you here to fool around or are you going to buy?"

Commissar realized that his black coat with the carapace armour underneath and his officer's cap bearing the Aquila differentiated him from the people of this world. The commissar sank into thought as he turned to head towards the Imperial Guard post.

"Are you going to... Hey! Fine, go away then. What a day," the annoyed fruit vendor barked, but Commissar Forschner ignored the man and kept walking. Many speculations as to what happened crossed his mind. Deep in thought, he was aware of his surroundings. A young blonde girl with a red scarf almost ran into him.

"Watch out!" she cried, pushing the commissar aside in a hurry. The commissar frowned but held his fury. From a distance, he saw the same silver-haired Eldar chasing after the girl. Suppressing his urge to attack the witch on sight, he, instead, called out to her, hoping that she would have some answers.

"Halt, witch!" he yelled, "I have questions to ask."

The Eldar female turned with widened eyes, not of fear, but of disgust.

"What is your problem?" she asked, almost in tears, "Why would you call me that?"

The crowd began to whisper. In truth, her reaction startled Forschner, but he kept his face and approached the xenos, for her race is known for their crafty tricks.

"I call you a witch for you are one," he answered adamantly, "Too many good men have I seen fall to your kind's magic."

"I see there are still those who are still scarred from the war," she lamented, "I apologize for any offense. I hope we don't meet again."

Her reply caught Forschner by surprise, as her words held no trace of Eldar arrogance. She tried to leave, but the commissar pulled her back.

"War? Which war do you speak of?" he asked.

"Which war?" she repeated, "Weren't you talking about the Demi Human War?"

"Demi Human?," he asked; it was a term quite unfamiliar to him.

"Look, I need to get the insignia that girl took from me," she said in a desperate voice, "If you are finished, will you let me on my way?"

She ran off after the girl, leaving the commissar with more unanswered questions.

"Wait! That damned Eldar," he shouted as he ran after her. The nimble blonde girl was already far off. There was no way she could catch up to her. Forschner grabbed the xenos female by her shoulder.

"I'll find her for you," he said, "In return, answer me everything I want to know, Eldar."

She seemed lost at first when he called her Eldar, but she nodded in agreement.

 _Only a fool relies on xenos; only dead men trust them._ That thought ran across the commissar's mind, but at desperate times, mankind must make use of the Eldar to its benefit.

"I suppose I can show you how to find people in a hive," the commissar said with confidence, raising his bolt pistol, "I was often coveted by the Inquisition during my youth in the Schola Progenium. Emperor forgive me for wasting my talents for a xenos."

After interrogating the locals, the commissar discovered that the girl's name was Felt, a prominent smuggler who dwells in the slums. Her goods were often stolen in the Stolen Goods Warehouse, guarded by a giant named Rom. The two decided to head to the slums to find her before she sold the insignia.

By sundown, the commissar and the silver-haired female arrived at the old wreckage of a building known as the Stolen Goods Warehouse. The female Eldar stood in awe of the discovery. She turned to the commissar and thanked him.

"I don't know if I would have found this place without you," she said.

"Save your gratitude, xenos," he lashed out, "I did not do this to impress you."

She shook her head in pity, "Well, I'm Emilia, by the way."

The commissar glared at her, slightly annoyed. He decided to give his name anyway.

"Forschner. Viktor Forschner, commissar of the 8th Cadian Regiment."

"Thank you, Forschner."

"It's Commissar Forschner," he spat as he opened the door.

It was dark inside, not a candle was lit. The commissar halted and drew his cutlass. He sensed something inside; something he was very familiar with.

"I smell the stench of blood inside. Tread with care that you do not die on me before you fulfill my demands."

"Okay," she muttered, displeased by his way of speech. They entered the building, using the commissar's flashlight as a light source.

"Is that magic?" she asked curiously.

"I have no time for your ignorance," his tone suggested irritation. Emilia decided to drop the subject. The commissar began to sweep the area. He found the source of the stench, a mutilated Ogryn and the blonde girl named Felt lying dead on the ground.

Then, the commissar felt a sudden killing instinct. He looked to his side and saw a glimpse of what seemed to be a blade. Emilia pushed the commissar out of the way of the swing. The silver-haired female fell to the ground, creating a pool of blood. The commissar's flashlight fell out of his hand. Under the moonlight, he saw a sinister figure in black dress with a grotesque blade hiding in the shadows.

"Show yourself!" he shouted.

"Oh, my. You got lucky, didn't you?" she said, smiling menacingly while spinning her blades, "Too bad, she won't be able to save you a second time."

The commissar saw Emilia from the peripherals of his vision; she lied motionless.

"Don't get cocky, assassin!" the commissar yelled, "You have not bested me yet."

She was like a Wych, agile and elegant, above all deathly. His speed was no match for hers. He switched on the power cutlass, which started emitting a blue light and a humming noise, and drew out his bolt pistol. The figure dashed towards the commissar and swung her blade, moving as if dancing. The commissar jumped away, but he found a stub where his hand used to be, his hand and the bolt pistol fallen 3 arm's length away. He cried in agony as he realized his injury.

"Now that's the face I've wanted to see," said the shadowy killer, as if aroused by watching him in pain. It reminded him of the heretics of the sadistic dark cults, a sight that filled him with hatred and righteousness.

"You will get no such pleasure from me, you filth!" he screamed while fighting the pain. The female assassin licked her lips and lowered her pose. She lashed out at the commissar once again, foolishly aiming for the abdomen. She hit his carapace armour, causing her blade to bounce off. The commissar slashed at the stunned foe, cutting her down.

"Your arrogance is the reason for your demise. May your lost soul suffer for eternity," he said biting his teeth. He turned to Emilia, who sacrificed herself to save the recently acquainted commissar. It was an act unlike any Eldar he had ever heard of, sacrificing her life to save a human. He wasn't able to show his respect as she was a xenos, but he still commended her sacrifice.

Suddenly, the air around him began to freeze again. The commissar raised his guard and searched for the mysterious beast from before. As expected, the beast was present, towering over him. Its eyes glowed as it stared down at the commissar. Forschner raised his sword, slightly frightened by its appearance.

"Speak, fiend." the commissar ordered, shivering from the cold, "What are you?"

 _You failed to protect my daughter. Rest, along with her._

The commissar began to freeze, and his body started to fall apart.

"I promised no such protection!" he screamed in pain, "What do you want? Why am I here?"

The commissar froze to death before he was able to hear an answer.

Regaining his vision, commissar saw the fruit vendor again. He was speechless for a short time, but he began to chuckle. The fruit vendor back away from whom he thought was a madman. The chuckle became a loud laughter, drawing everyone's attention. Forschner shouted like a fanatic, beaming with joy, "The Immortal Emperor has brought me from death again!" For the third time, he was brought back from his death. The Emperor has yet given him another chance. After a silent prayer in the back alley, the commissar straightened his cap. He strengthened his resolve as if he was sent on a divine mission. He set out to find out more about this world and his purpose in it. His first course of action was to get information out from the Emilia, the Eldar female. It would come at a cost, but he knew just the price for it.


	4. Chapter 4: Deadly Business

Commissar Forschner walked for some time. Walking through the slums during the day, he discovered many things that he didn't see during the evening. The slum of this world was similar to the outskirts of a hive, only less dangerous. Many lived in houses with more than adequate space, and there were no signs of murderous mutants or toxins.

"Slothful citizens living in such idleness," he commented, "Yet they live in peace. These dwellers should be put to work."

He stood before the gates of the Stolen Goods Warehouse, this time, before sundown. He kicked the door three times. An aged, dark-skinned man the size of an small Ogyrn burst open the door; the smell of alcohol permeated from the warehouse. The commissar raised his sleeve to guard his nose.

"Shut the hell up!" the giant man shouted, cringing his thick white eyebrows, "You mean to break down my door when you don't even know the password?"

"I have come to request a specific item. Something only your kind of people would be able to acquire," the commissar told him.

The old man cringed his face. "Who the hell are you?" he asked the man in the black coat with a funny cap.

"Do you always inquire for your client's identity? And I thought this was your expertise," the commissar remarked.

"Whatever, come inside," he said with a slur. The giant old man checked his surroundings and let him in.

Inside the place was more rundown than the commissar had realized under the moonlight. The tables and chairs were falling apart, broken glass and trash littered the place, and the smell of alcohol was intoxicating. The commissar stared at the old man who now sat behind the counter, drinking while facing him. After a thorough observation, the commissar noticed that the old man was not human but more abhuman or mutant. He was big but slouched, with white fur growing from his chest down to his naval. He was tattooed with red markings and full of battle scars.

"Looks like you've seen your share of battles," the commissar complemented, "I can respect that."

The old man glugged down his beverage and set it down with a slam. He looked more intoxicated than before.

"So, whater you looking fer?" the old man slurred.

"An insignia," the commissar answered, "It is an item of grave importance."

"Righ' now, I dun have any item that you speak of," he sounded more incoherent as he spoke, "But you can wai outsigh fer Felt t'get ere. She's bringin something like that."

"I shall wait," the commissar declared, getting up from the wobbling chair, "And you should stop drinking, or this business will become impossible!" He walked out and sat by the porch.

A little while later, the nimble blonde girl from before walked up to the commissar. She was a mere child. She looked curiously at the stranger in eccentric black attire.

"About time that you arrive," he said, dusting himself off, "I have grown tired of waiting for you. The lack of discipline seems to be a common issue with this populace."

"Do you know me?" she asked, creeped by the stranger.

"Heard of you, Felt," he answered, "You have something that I require, an insignia."

Felt smiled, "So that's what it is. Come inside then. I'll hear you out."

She walked up to the door and knocked three times. The old man gave a riddle.

"For a rat..."

"Poison."

"For a whale..."

The commissar yelled in vexation, "Enough with this madness! Open the door. I do not have the time nor patience to deal with your foolishness."

The old man opened the door with a cringe on his face, growing even uglier. He then turned to Felt and greeted her with a smile. They both entered the warehouse. The old man set up a table in the middle of the warehouse for the negotiation to take place. The commissar sat down, placing his officer's cap on the side of the table. Felt sat at the opposite end of the table, and the old man sat on the side.

"So," Felt started, "How much do you offer?"

"The merchandise first," the commissar demanded.

Felt drew a small item from her top, an emblem with a gem in the center. The commissar confirmed the merchandise and nodded. Despite everything he said, the commissar had no currency of this world. The commissar carried loads of golden Aquila pendants, but offering them would be nothing less than heresy. He drew his bolt pistol and laid it down on the table.

"Mr. Rom," Felt quietly asked the giant, "Do you know what that is?"

The giant shook his head. They both inspected the item with great curiosity.

After trying to rack their heads to figure out what it was, Felt asked, "What is that?"

"This," the commissar said raising his pistol, "is what you call a bolt pistol. One of the finest weaponry that the Imperium has to offer."

"A weapon?" the giant asked, "How do you use it?"

"That is a secret," said the commissar, "I do not want you to discover that just yet."

"Well if you can't show us," Felt interrupted, "How can we put a value to it?"

The commissar laughed. "It is not the bolt pistol that I offer," he said, "As an officer of the Golden Throne, it irks me to work for a price, especially for an abhuman and a mere child, but I offer my service as your personal guard for the remainder of this day for that emblem."

Rom and Felt looked at him with disbelief.

"Look, if you don't have anything to offer, we don't have much to say to you," said Felt, crossing her arms. "Besides, Mr. Rom is the best fighter there is. I don't have to worry a thing!"

The commissar looked at Rom then turned back to Felt. He made a smirk, and Rom made an angry face.

"Whatever," Felt ignored him, "There's someone else who's willing to buy this insignia, and she is offering 10 Holy Silver Coins. You can leave now."

"My offer stands until morning," the commissar affirmed.

Just then, three knocks came from the door. They all turned towards the door.

"Did you tell them the password?" Rom asked Felt.

"I forgot. Well, it's probably for me anyway. I'll go check."

Felt got up and walked towards the door.

"Prepare yourself for a fight, abhuman," the commissar told Rom, who looked curiously at the man in black.

"I was right! It was for me," Felt exclaimed. She was followed by a woman in a black dress. The commissar recognized who she was and made a smile of satisfaction. Felt stared at him with eyes of disgust.

"I know the older fellow, but who might this be?" the woman in black dress asked.

"He is..." Felt wondered.

"Commissar Viktor Forschner," he introduced himself, "I am their acquaintance."

"I see," she said, "I am Elsa Granhiert."

"So did you bring the money for the insignia?" Felt asked excitedly.

"Yes, my client even sent some extra coins to sweeten the deal in case we had a rival," Elsa replied, handing Felt a bag of coins.

"Well, in your case, the rival is broke and have nothing to offer," mocked Felt. She counted the coins.

"It makes sense for your client to send more coins. After all, you will be taking them back once they are both dead," the commissar commented.

There was a moment of silence. Elsa's eyes grew grim. She made a murderous glare at the commissar, sitting at a chair with his feet on the table.

"What do you mean by that?" Elsa inquired.

"I meant exactly as I said, assassin."

Elsa sighed in disappointment. Felt's eyes widened when she saw Elsa's blade.

"So, you knew," she said, licking her lip, "How did you know?"

"I give no answers to heretics who find pleasure in torture and murder," replied Forschner, unsheathing his cutlass.

"Interesting," Elsa made a sadistic smile, "I wonder what color your bowels are."

Forschner quickly fired two rounds from his bolt pistol, destroying a table and shattering the door. Elsa barely evaded the shots. The destructive nature of the unknown weapon startled Elsa, but she made her charge towards the man in black coat. This time, the commissar aimed to parry her with his cutlass. Elsa's blade severed in two as it made contact with the power cutlass. She instantly backed off, sensing danger. Upon discovery of her broken blade, she drew another one.

Her second blade was not something the commissar accounted for. He has gauged her speed and decided that disarming her would bring victory like last time, but the commissar was now at a disadvantage once more.

Just then, Rom came at Elsa with a large club. He swung like a brute, destroying all the furniture that stood in his way. Elsa swifts dodged all his strikes with ease. The commissar took his chance to fire another round. The round missed the assassin but hit the wooden wall, shattering to pieces. Shrapnel flew out, inflicting minor injuries on both Elsa and Rom. Using the chaos to the advantage, Felt sprung out, dashing faster than wind. Elsa evaded Felt's attack by a hair. To her surprise, however, she did not see Forschner charge at her with his power cutlass until he was in melee range. She reacted by slashing at his gut, once again failing to penetrate the carapace armour. The power cutlass cut her like butter. She fell to the ground in the pool of her own blood.

The commissar walked up to Felt and put his hand out to her.

"The insignia," he said, "I believe you owe me."

Felt's eyes grew with fear, looking past the commissar. Forschner turned around, only to realize that Elsa was no longer on the floor. He swiveled his hand and found her standing beside him. She lunged forward with her blade in hand, striking his face before he had time to react. However, the refractor field kicked in, effectively halting her strike. The commissar reacted by slashing at the assassin, who flipped away and evaded his attack.

Badly wounded, Elsa dashed towards the exit. The commissar shot at her two more times, but all failed to wound her.

"I swear, I will open you up and draw your guts next time," she told the commissar as she fled.

"Cowardice! Get back here!" Forschner screamed, lowering his bolt pistol.

"Are you a magic user?" asked Felt with look of awe.

The commissar turned to her with an annoyed look. He shook his head, walking over to the fallen table to retrieve his headgear.

"Well, I guess you did save us," Felt sighed with a disappointed look, "So just for this once, I'll let to take that insignia."

Felt held out the insignia in her hand. The commissar looked at her with surprise, for he was prepared to fight for it.

"I'll be taking it, then. May the Emperor guide you, citizen," he thanked her.

"Don't call me citizen. You can call me Felt like you did before."

"I call you what I see fit, impudent child," Forschner snapped and walked out the exit, leaving the upset child behind.

Rom frowned and said to him, "Couldn't you just indulge her?"

Forschner turned. "No, your indulgence is the reason why this youth lacks discipline," he said, leaving the warehouse.

"What does it take for a young man to become like that?" Rom lamented, clicking his tongue.


	5. Chapter 5: Roswaal Mansion

Commissar Forschner sat in the back of a wagon, heading over to the Roswaal Estate. He held the insignia in his hand, fidgeting it around. It was a small black piece with a gem in the middle. It had golden symbol, but it was not a symbol of the Imperium.

Some time ago, he visited the Guard Post. The post was nothing like he imagined. It had no insignia or symbol of the Emperor or Imperium. When he asked the guardsmen, they had no idea what a commissar was. Commissar was getting frustrated from their lack of knowledge.

"Is there anyone who might know something about the Imperium?" Forschner asked.

"Like I said, I doubt anyone has even heard of the place you speak of," the guard answered.

"What of the Eldar who lost her insignia? Did she come by?" he asked.

"Eldar?"

"The pointy-ear with silver hair," the commissar described.

"Oh, you mean Lady Emilia. She's currently resides in the Roswaal Estates," the guard informed him.

"Locate to me its coordinates," the commissar demanded.

The guard pointed out to him the general direction.

"Any coach will know where to go if you tell them you're going to the Roswaal Estate. But it's not a place I'd go myself, to tell the truth."

"I care little for you or your cowardice," the commissar brushed off the guard's remark. "Stay vigilant, guardsman. For the Emperor," he told him as he left.

The guard waved him off, "Uh... bye? What a strange man."

Forschner bartered off many of his trivial items that he had picked up during the battles at the Cadian Gates, including a fancy combat knife, and his gloves, to make enough money for the carriage ride to the Roswaal Estates. It was a bumpy ride, nothing new to the commissar. After a long ride through dense woods, the coach stopped at a small village.

"Why do you stop? The mansion is further in the woods," said the commissar, pointing at the mansion.

"I don't think I can go any farther with this carriage, nor do I want to. This place is filled with demon beasts."

"You refuse to transport because you fear some daemon beasts that live in the woods? Is lack of backbone a common mutation in this wretched world? You still believe in daemons, you coward?" the commissar shouted angrily.

"Look, if you want to go further, go on your own," said the coachman.

The commissar jumped out from the carriage. Once he was off, he kicked the carriage, startling the horses. The coachman curse him as he took off. Infuriated commissar started walking up the road leading to the mansion. It was almost sunset, traveling by night would be dangerous, but he decided to hurry his steps and get there before it's too late.

By nightfall, the woods became a place of horrors. Sounds of beasts howling and skittering around placed even the battle-hardened commissar on the edge. He moved with caution and his blade and bolt pistol at hand.

A beast resembling a wolf with a horn crept near; its eyes glowing crimson red. It growled as it approached the commissar. The commissar raised his weapon and fired. The creature took a direct hit, painting the floor with blood and guts. The booming noise of the bolter round scared away some of the other beasts that lurked. Not all the beasts fled, however, some retreated so a safer distance and observed their prey.

The commissar followed the road, caring not to get lost or trapped. Two more beasts began to trail him. He realized that his magazine should be low of ammunition. He prepared to fire two more shots, when a large flail flew out, crushing both beasts in a sweeping motion. The commissar turned and pointed his weapon at towards the wielder. The figure was a blue-haired young female, dressed in a black and white frilly dress.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Commissar Viktor Forschner," he answered, "I was on my way to the Roswaal Estate."

"Why?" she questioned, staying on guard.

"Are you from the mansion? Good. Lead me to it," he ordered.

"What is your objective?" she asked in a threatening voice?

The commissar sighed, "I have come to make a deal with Emilia. I hold her insignia in my possession." He waved the insignia as he spoke.

Her eyes flashed of hostility when she saw Forschner reveal the insignia. She charged towards the stranger in black coat, throwing the commissar off guard. He tried to brace, but she struck him with tremendous strength, like that of an Ogryn. The commissar flew back into a tree. His armour and refractor field absorbed most of the damage, but he was still fazed from the sheer force of the assault. The female made a loop with the chains of the flail and snared the distorted commissar to choke him. The commissar tried to free himself, but her strengthen was unmatched. His conscience faded, falling helplessly to the floor.

Forschner awoke to a violent strike to his body. It was dawn, coloring the woods in orange light of daybreak. The commissar found himself stripped of his coat and wargears, chained to a tree. He was bare chested, revealing his scars and the Aquilia mark stretching across his chest. He tried to free himself with no avail. He found his assailant and another female who looked almost identical if not for her pink hair.

"Emperor forgive me," he said, spitting blood out of his mouth, "My lack of vigilance has gotten the best of me."

"Who hired you?" the blue hair questioned.

"A child," he answered.

"Who?" she repeated.

"A child. She paid with the emblem, which I believe is in your possession now."

"What did she want?"

"Protection from assassins."

She struck him with the chains again.

"Stop with the nonsense!" she screamed.

The commissar began laughing hysterically.

"Who do you serve?" she questioned in a threatening tone.

"Who do I serve? I SERVE the one true lord, THE EMPEROR, THE RULER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH!"

She struck him again, yet he was unrelenting in his revelation.

"AND UPON ALL DEATH, HE RETRIEVES THE SOULS OF HIS LOYAL SERVANTS!"

The man laughed with great fanaticism that made his interrogator retract in disgust.

"Let's end this, Rem," the other female suggested, raising her hand in a blade like manner.

"Stop, both of you," another female commanded.

Both interrogators bowed as the familiar figure approached.

"Emilia," Forschner laughed, "How careless of me. Of course the Eldar would be behind this."

"Who are you? How do you know me?" she asked in distress.

"I figure by now, all of you should have heard at least my name," he boasted, "But I shall introduce myself again, I am Commissar Viktor Forschner of the 8th Cadian Regiment."

"What do you want? How do you have my insignia?" she asked.

"I acquired your insignia through my blood and sweat, so that I may trade it with you in exchange for information. But I see that you have taken it back without giving me a hint of information. How cunning of you, as expected of an Eldar witch!"

Rem struck him again, but his eyes did not lose spirit. He glared with burning hatred towards Emilia.

"Why do you call me 'eldar witch'? What is an eldar?" she asked in complete obliviousness.

The commissar was confused. "You mean, you do not know what Eldar is? Are you not one of them?"

"That term is unknown to me," she answered.

The commissar was at a loss for words, for he had thought that finding Emilia would lead to answers. He must start his search for answers anew. He lowered his head in disappointment.

"And what does this mean? I see so many of your belongings have a symbol like it," Emilia asked, dangling the Aquilia pendant in her hand.

Forschner lost himself; he lashed out like a rabid beast.

"Unhand that pendent right this moment! It is not an object so lightly handled by your kind, you foul-" he screamed, struggling violently in the chains.

Emilia fell back, startled by Forschner's sudden reaction. Rem raised her flail.

"I didn't mean to offend you," Emilia said, "Here, you can have it back."

She tossed it on the ground. He tried to reach for it with his feet, but it was out of his reach. Rem grabbed it and handed it back. He grabbed the pendant and gripped it, closing his eyes in relief.

"Where did you get my insignia?" Emilia asked again, carefully.

"From a child named Felt," he answered, calmer than before, "An assassin by the name of Elsa Granhiert wanted to buy it for a large price. I interfered and took it."

"How did you know it was mine?"

"I overheard you looking for it," he said, looking lifeless, "I thought you looked like someone I knew."

"The eldar witch?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered.

"You can't trust him, Lady Emilia," the pink hair stated.

"Unchain him, Ram," she commanded.

"But-" Rem tried to speak.

"He did not come here aiming for my life," Emilia told her.

"We can't be sure, Lady Emilia," Rem explained.

"Look at him," said Emilia, "He's a warrior, not an assassin. That is a genuine expression of someone who is hurt."

The commissar's face and body was full of battle scars. He has a cut run from his bottom lip to his chin, cut running for his forehead down to his right cheek, and a burn scar on his left ear. He made a grim expression.

"I do not need your pity," he muttered, "Kill me and be done with it, fiends. Unchaining me will be the last mistake you make."

Rem walked up. The commissar closed his eyes, preparing himself for another death. She broke the chains.

"If Rems sees you do anything suspicious," Rem threatened, "Rem will end your life."

"The Emperor protects," he murmured, as the shirtless man fell to the ground.

Forschner woke up in a bed unlike before, the most luxurious bed he had ever seen in his life. He sat up in disbelief. He found Rem and Ram guarding the bedroom door.

"By the Emperor, what have you done?" he asked the females.

"We are guarding you to make sure you don't do anything stupid," Ram said.

"Loyal dogs, you are," he muttered, getting out of the bed, "I wish to leave."

"Lady Emilia has kindly ordered to keep you here until you are healed and rested," Rem stated.

"Does this please you? Do you feel empowered by your show of mercy?" he asked, irritated.

"If I had a say, I would have killed you," Rem answered with a cold stare.

"You think I appreciate your mercy? Emperor save my soul," he cried, sitting down, "Am I not to leave the room?"

The two females looked at each other and shook their heads in sync.

They heard knocking, and Ram opened the door. Emilia in her sleepwear entered the room.

"How do you feel, Forschner?" she asked with a smile.

"It's Commissar Forschner," he corrected her.

"Is that your name, Commissar?" she asked curiously.

"It's my rank," he answered, "Officer of the Imperial Guards."

"Then how rude of you," Ram interrupted, "Lady Emilia is the candidate for the 42nd King of Lugnica."

Commissar looked in disbelief at Emilia. It was a feral world, lost to the Imperium, but she did outrank him. He slowly rose from his chair.

"King candidate? You are the Planetary Governor of this..." he stuttered his speech.

"Is something the matter?" Emilia asked.

"I..." the commissar bit his lips, as he was confused whether a governor of a feral world disconnected with the Imperium is still considered part of the hierarchy. If so, she outranked him, despite looking like a Xenos.

"I humbly apologize," he said, taking a bow, "I did not realize who you were. I assumed that you were not human due to your looks."

Despite looking like a Xenos, she may be abhuman. If so, it wasn't unheard of for mutants to hold power in some worlds, especially when backed by men with high powers.

"It's alright, I'm only half human anyway," she said, shaking her hands in denial.

"Half?" the commissar looked up with hostility.

"I'm a half elf, you see. That's why many people don't like me or think that I'm the Witch."

The commissar looked relieved. "I suppose such confusion is common. I do not know what an elf is, but as long as your kind is sanctioned by Imperial standards, I hold no opposition to your claims, my Lady."

"Um, why don't you get dressed? The owner of this estate, Roswaal L. Mathers wants to meet you."

He was dressed in clothes provided by the two females in frilly dress. He was led to a large dinning room by Ram. He was greeted by a pale man with dark blue hair. His attire was pompous, colorful and eccentric, almost like an Eldar Harlequinn. It was obvious that he was of noble birth. The commissar took a seat farthest from Emilia and the noble.

"I'm glad you are awake," he said, "I am Lord Roswaal L. Mathers, the owner of this estate."

"So I heard, my lord," commissar replied.

"I heard there was some discrepancy between you and my maids. I apologize for their rudeness."

"It was nothing, my lord."

"I held these feast as a form of apology. I hope you accept it," said Lord Roswaal.

"I humbly accept your kindness, my lord," he made a slight bow with his head.

"Let us eat, then," Lord Roswaal announced; they began eating.

In the middle of the meal, Roswaal asked the commissar.

"So what do you plan to do?"

"I," the commissar paused for a moment, "I do not have any plans. I suppose I can repay for you kindness by working for you and Lady Emilia, my lord."

"Even if she looks like an Eldar?" Roswaal asked.

The commissar almost choked on his food. He looked at Roswaal in astonishment.

"How do you-"

"Did you believe everyone in this world was oblivious of the world outside? I am well aware of what you are, Commissar," he interrupted.

"You know of the Imperial Guards? Can you perhaps contact my regiment, my lord?" he asked with hopefulness.

"Who? The 8th Cadians?" he asked.

"Yes! The 8th!" he exclaimed.

Roswaal made a grim expression. "So you haven't heard," he lamented, "Your regiment is gone and scattered. Cadia was destroyed."

Light was lost from the commissar's eyes. "Wha- Impossible! Cadia can not fall, my lord. Where have you heard this news?"

"Do you not believe me?" Roswaal glared; the commissar fell silent.

The commissar sank into his seat, devastated by the news.

"Such a shame. It seemed that those loyalists did put up a good fight," said Roswaal.

There was a period of silence; the commissar froze where he sat.

"Those loyalists?" the commissar asked, feeling a chill running down his spine.

Emilia saw that the commissar was trembling in his seat.

"Forschner, what's wrong?" she asked, worried.

"Yes," Roswaal stated, "the lapdogs of the corpse Emperor. Your people, Commissar."


	6. Chapter 6: Revelation

_**A/N: This site messes with the formatting of the document. If the story seems bit crammed, it might be due to the indents and line breaks disappearing. Oh well, I hope you can overlook that. Happy reading and have a great day, unlike this commissar.**_

"You!" the commissar sprung up from the chair, "Who are you?"

"I am Lord Roswaal L. Mathers, Commissar," he answered, "I believe I've introduced myself already."

With an intense war-cry, commissar jumped up to the table and charged towards the pale man in purple with his fork at hand. The two maids jumped up to stop him. Several colorful orbs flew out from Roswaal's hands and exploded near the commissar, blasting him off the table. He tumbled and crashed to the floor. The commissar tried to rise, only to fall again. He looked back to realize that he was missing his left leg. He groaned in pain as he tried to struggle his way out of the dinning room.

"Turning you back from your foe, Commissar? Useless!"

"Lord Roswaal, what are you doing?" Emilia screamed. She sprung up from her chair as well.

"I am punishing the man for his crime," he stated, slowly making his ways towards Forschner, "That man tried to murder me in my own estate. It seems that his target was me, Roswaal, not you." The fallen commissar crawled out of the dinning room.

"But you said something to him to anger him. Lord Roswaal, I think-"

"Lady Emilia. It was clear the man intended to harm me. Did you not see it in his eyes? Those were eyes of a man hungry for vengeance. Radicals like him do not take kindness towards demi humans lightly. I understand you pity him, and I can see that he is a broken man. He lost his home and his comrades. But it does not change the fact that he aimed for harm me or anyone else in this household. I will not forgive anyone who tried to harm my household."

Emilia fell silent. She sensed that something was very wrong but could not point to it.

"Ram, go get that man. Rem, why don't you escort Lady Emilia back to her room," he ordered. The two maids hesitated. They weren't sure whether to follow their master's order. Finally, Ram started walking towards the crawling commissar. Emilia tried to stop her, but Rem got in her way.

"Please, Lady Emilia," said Rem, "Leave this matter to Lord Roswaal for now."

Rem escorted Emilia out of the dinning room through the opposite door.

Emilia turned back and saw the commissar crawling away, leaving trail of blood.

Ram caught up to the commissar, who was halfway across the hallway. She grabbed him by the remaining leg and started dragging him back to the dinning room. He kicked and thrashed to free himself.

"Unhand me, you heretic! By the Emperor, I will slay all of you!" he screamed, struggling violently while being dragged by the female with monstrous strength.

"Hey!" he called out Ram, who silently dragged him back, "Kill me instead! Do it!"

Ram did not respond. The commissar bit his tongue, but he couldn't bite down hard enough due to the pain. He looked at the floor he was being dragged on, solid sanded stone. He placed his tongue between his teeth and closed his eyes.

 _Emperor give me strength._ He prayed to himself. With a single violent motion, he slammed his chin down on the stone floor. A sharp, electrifying pain shot from his tongue down to his spine as he saw his tongue lay on the floor. Blood spurted from his tongue. The commissar gagged, choking on his own tongue and blood. Ram dropped the commissar, staring in shock and disgust.

Roswaal shook his head, "No, Commissar. You cannot do something so unsightly, even for you loyalists. My master would be displeased to know that you are such a coward."

Roswaal walked up and knelt beside the dying commissar. He looked at the commissar and smiled in great pleasure.

"You make such an amusing face when in pain. I wanted to see more of that," Roswaal laughed, "But this is too anticlimactic. I've waited too long to see you for you to die like this."

The commissar's eyes glared at the pale man.

"Oh, what scary eyes," Roswaal commented. His smile stretched from ear to ear, showing his teeth. "What can you possibly do, Viktor?" he whispered to Forschner.

The commissar began convulsing, coughing blood.

"Hmm, I wonder if I should have Emilia come back to heal you," Roswaal thought out loud.

The commissar turned his eyes towards Ram, who was looking away. He gagged then fell silent.

The commissar awoke in the same bedroom. His teeth still clenched; his body still remembered the pain. He saw the two maids guarding the room.

"You two," he asked, panting heavily, "Please go get Lady Emilia."

"We are to watch you from doing anything sus-"

"I understand, so please, go get Lady Emilia!" he yelled, charged with rage, "There is something I must tell her."

"Emilia will not be showing, I'm afraid."

The commissar heard a familiar, terrifying voice from outside the door. His body trembled from fear and hatred. Roswaal opened the door and entered. The two maids took a bow.

"You two are dismissed," he commanded, waving them out.

"But-" Ram spoke but was quickly interrupted.

"He cannot harm me, Ram," the pale man in purple said with a smile, "even at his best."

"I understand," Ram replied. Both maids took their leave.

Roswaal walked over to the bed and sat beside the commissar. The commissar did not move, but his eyes followed the heretic's every movement. Cold sweat ran down from his forehead.

"I don't know what you've done," said Roswaal, turning towards the commissar, "But I can feel that something is different. You see, I'm not completely free from realspace, but I can sense a distortion in time/space. You turned back time, did you not?"

The commissar's mouth was shut, but his eyes did the talking. He had no intention of conversing with a heretic and risk tainting himself.

"So, you already know who I am," Roswaal chuckled, "I wonder what went wrong, Commissar, for you to turn by time again?"

The exotic pale man drew closer to the commissar, intoxicating the air with his perfume. He observed the commissar's face in close detail. The commissar only glared back.

"You look very much like your father," he stated, "I can see why she desire you."

The commissar snapped.

"Speak not of my father, you vile heretic!" the commissar growled.

The pale man burst into laughter. "You finally spoke, Viktor," he said, swiping his eyes, "So, you want to talk about your father, hmm?"

The commissar went silent once more.

"What exactly do you remember about your father? About Captain Forschner?"

"Do not speak lightly of my father," the commissar warned.

"Why? Because he was a loyal servant of the false emperor? If so, why did the Emperor lead his ship astray 400 years ago?"

The commissar looked surprised for a brief moment then made a smile, "It was lost 50 years ago, fool."

Roswaal stared at the commissar in wonder, "Was it?"

"What does that supposed to mean?" the commissar questioned.

"I suppose it means nothing to you," Roswaal said with a smirk, "Since you're going to be my plaything now."

The commissar grasped the pale man by his neck, attempting a choke. Roswaal calmly placed in finger on the commissar's forehead, causing a slight spark. The commissar began to scream in agony, grabbing his head and thrashing around. Ram came in running, only to find the commissar rolling in pain.

"Lock him up in the cellar, my dear," said Roswaal, as he stood up and walked out.

"Damn! You! Heretic!" Forschner cried, struggling to stay conscious.

The last thing he saw was Ram raising her hand for a strike.

* * *

 **Side note: I wrote Roswaal's lines think of Takehito Koyasu's voice in mind. So yes, that is a Jojo reference. (MUDADA!)**


	7. Chapter 7: Provisional Alliance

"Still awake, Viktor?" asked Roswaal, holding a blade over a candle, "Good. We are just getting started. You pass out sooner than I thought. I am quite envious of you, my master's chosen one. But I'm sure she'd get tired of you soon. Oh, you're wondering what I'm doing. I'm sanitizing my equipment. Using unclean equipment can cause infections, and infections can bring horrid results. So, what was I talking about? Right, you're father, Captain Leonhard Forschner of the Stalwart. I was going to break you first before telling you, but I think this story will help you understand your situation better. Your Emperor doesn't protect you. He protects no one."

His memory was hazy.

The commissar wondered how long it has been since he was chain up in the cellar. He suffered pain unimaginable by the pale man, as if tortured by the Dark God of Pleasure himself. A lantern by the tool table kindled a small flame. It was a tiny flame, but it burned so bright in total darkness. The commissar's vision was blurry from the swelling above his eye. On the wall hung a butcher's apron, stained with dried blood, and different tools that he painfully discovered their uses were displayed on a leather mat. His body was covered in new wounds, still red with only a thin layer of skin that recently healed. A metallic device was strapped around his mouth to prevent him from swallowing his on tongue.

 _Damn it all! Why am I here?_ His thought became louder. _Why_ _am I so_ _powerless? Has the Emperor forsaken me?_ Had he been stronger, faster, he would have slain that heretic where he sat, tear his head off with his bare head. That pale weakling only defeated him through the use of cowardly magic. If only there was a way to receive the power to pull away the chains and slay the bastard who put him to shame, he would give up his soul.

 _Wait,_ he came to a realization, _These are not thoughts of my own._ He panicked as fear grew inside him.

"Ge- ouw ob ma hea-!" he screamed though the device on his mouth.

 _I can receive that power. All I need to do is but ask._

 _This is not me. This can not be me!_

 _I can redeem myself through the blood of my enemies, like I always have. I shall drown the pathetic servants of that self-indulgent coward in the river of their own blood! And their skulls... hehehe... Theirs skulls will be my offering._

 _Get out of my head! I refuse you, fiend!_

 _Not fiend. A god!_

The commissar screamed. Fear began to tighten his airway, leaving him gasping for air. Sweat poured from his forehead as he tried to remember his training, but nothing came to mind. He frantically swiveled around, desperately searching for a reminder that the Immortal Emperor is still with him, protecting his soul from the entities of the Warp. All his pendants were taken away from him, and the Aquila mark on his chest was replaced by thin tissue of recently healed skin. He started to pant as his body trembled uncontrollably. He was truly alone in this dark cellar, out of the reach of the God Emperor.

So frightened by this new level of terror, the commissar did not notice that there was a person standing beside him. Two small hands grabbed his shoulders, snapping the commissar out from the madness that engulfed him. The commissar found one of the maids with blue hair holding his shoulders. She looked at him in fear and pity.

"Why go so far ?" she asked, her voice trembling.

The commissar stayed silent, calming himself.

"Who in the world do you work for? Is that person truly worth all this?"

The commissar kept his silence, not even looking up. Rem removed the device around his head and tossed it aside.

"Is it worth it? Do you enjoy this?"

The commissar jumped at her comment, rattling the chains.

"I do not enjoy these, heretic! May your soul rot in this the realm of the damned," he cried, still hurting for his wounds.

"Souls? You still seem to live in a fantasy world," her voice faded, looking down at the broken man with cold stares.

"Perhaps Rem should just free you from the pain instead. If Rem stabs you with this, it would be all over," she picked up a blade from the mat.

"Do it," he spoke, his voice lacking certainty, "I fear not death or torture. The Immortal Emperor... He is with me."

Rem gave an expression of disgust. She dropped the blade on the floor and grabbed his by his arms and held him up.

"Tell me something! What is Lord Roswaal planning?" she questioned, charged with rage.

"Kill me and be done with it."

"What is wrong with you? Because of you, my sister... my sister is...," she trailed off, "Everything is a mess now, after you showed up! Only if... Only if you hadn't shown up."

Rem's voice trailed off when she found that the man in chains was unlike the Commissar Forschner she met in the woods. He seemed lifeless and afraid. His eye has lost its zeal.

"I thought I already told you. He is not our enemy, despite that he reeks of the Witch's scent," a child's voice echoed.

A female child in a wealthy pink frilly dress appeared out of the darkness. She wore two spiral pigtails, tied with pink ribbons.

"Unless you came to torture him, I suppose." said the girl.

Rem bit her lips in anger, but she drew a small pendant from her pocket. The commissar's eye flashed when he saw the Aquila emblem they took from him.

"This," Rem asked, holding up the pendant, "Rem believes it is important to you."

The commissar snapped back to his old self for a little bit.

"Give it ba-"

"You can have it back," she interrupted, forcing it into his hand, "Rem apologizes for everything that has happened." Rem bowed her head.

The commissar held the pendant tightly in his hand, thinking that the Emperor was with him after all.

"The Emperor does not teach forgiveness, especially towards mutants and psykers" said the chained commissar, looking up at the blue-haired maid, "But above all else, my greatest enemies are heretics. I shall temporally side with you to purge those who knowingly fell away from the Emperor's grace."

"Don't get cocky, human," said the girl in pink, "I only agreed to save you because the brat asked me to, I suppose. She was worried that you disappeared and wanted me to find you. I have yet to tell her what Roswaal was doing to you."

"As sharp as always, that Emilia," said the commissar, trying to stand, "I shall listen to your issue, but first, release me from these chains. Then get me to my wargears."

Despite struggling to refuse treatment from Rem's healing magic, Rem continued to heal his wounds. The girl in wealthy dress destroyed the chains with a swipe of her hand. Holding back the urge to slay the mutant psykers where they stood, the commissar committed to accepting them as his provisional allies. They escaped from the cellar and ran to the closet where the commissar's belongings were kept.

"So, Roswaal was not someone who seek pleasure from torture, you say?" said the commissar, putting on his carapace armour, "His actions proved otherwise."

"That fool has been acting strange lately, I suppose," said the pig-tailed child, "And he stinks of the Witch's scent."

"My sister got closer to master to keep him from getting closer to me," said Rem, "But Rem sensed the Witch's trace around her recently. My sister would never align herself with the Witch!"

"So, it seems that she has been tainted as well," the commissar said to himself, throwing on his black coat. He drew the cutlass out of its scabbard and gave a few swings before putting it away.

"That idiot, Roswaal, seemed certain that you knew of the Witch personally, I suppose," said the girl in pink, "I discovered that you knew something he did not want you to. He tortured you in a way more cruel than any man I've ever seen before. But you've endured it, I suppose."

"I know no witch personally," he stated, picking up the bolt pistol.

The commissar reloaded his bolt pistol and stored the remaining bolt rounds in the pouch by his belt. He pointed it towards the wall and aimed down its sight.

"So what is it that you want from me, mutant?" he asked the girl.

"Your attitude towards me is very displeasing," complained the girl, "But I can wait until this issue is resolved to fix that, I suppose."

"Lord Roswaal fled the mansion with my sister after his battle against Lady Beatrice here," Rem answered.

"I am powerful when I am near the Forbidden Library," Beatrice told him, "I was able to defeat him, but he fled, I suppose."

"The biggest problem is the Witch Cult," said Rem, "They've spotted around the village in large numbers, kidnapping and killing villagers. They seem to be after Lady Emilia."

"And I assume that you are gravely underhanded," he said, picking up his cap, "which is why you decided to bring me out."

"I don't know where you find your confidence, human," said Beatrice, "We brought you out because the brat wanted to make sure you are safe. When you see her, do not tell her of the torture you had to go through; it will hurt her. She already feels guilty for bringing you here. That brat is too nice to everyone, I suppose."

"How many of these cultists do you expect?" asked the commissar.

"More than Rem could handle by myself," Rem answered.

"And you think adding one more person will turn the tide?" commissar questioned her.

"Foolish human," Beatrice mocked, "You are to help that brat Emilia get away from here." "Do not mock humans, mutant!" snapped the commissar, "You will regret it one day if continue to belittle humans."

Beatrice squinted her eye in the face of a challenge. The commissar glared back for a while but turned away.

"But today is not the day," the commissar muttered bitterly, grinding his teeth, "Our priority is getting Lady Emilia out of here, is this correct?"

"Yes," Rem answered.

"Where is she now?" he asked.

Rem pointed towards her room, "She is currently sheltered in her room."

"You," the commissar called Beatrice, "Could it be so that, you are only powerful near this 'Forbidden Library'?"

"Only? Why do you ask?" Beatrice questioned him, giving him a cold stare.

"How would you fare if we barricade within this mansion?"

"It is possible," she answered, "But as soon as this mansion goes down, you will all be dead."

"If we take a carriage, Rem can provide rear security while..." Rem paused, not knowing how to address the man in the black coat.

"Commissar Forschner is suitable," he said.

"While Sir Commissar Forschner clears the path with your magic weapon."

"Magic weapon? This? This is a kinetic weapon," he said, waving his bolt pistol.

They appeared puzzled at the commissar's statement. He decided to drop the subject.

"I can clear the path, but my ammunition is limited," he said, looking at his 3 reserve magazines. A bolt pistol is a side arm, and for commissars, a weapon to drive fear in both his enemies and his own. It was not meant to inflict massive casualties.

"But you do know how theses 'kinetic weapons' are used, right?" asked Beatrice.

"My faith demands that I never forget," he affirmed.

"Good, let's go see the brat, Emilia, then," said Beatrice, "There is also something you might find useful, I suppose."

Commissar Forschner and Beatrice walked up to the door of Emilia's room. Emilia greeted them in her usual white attire.

"Forschner!" Emilia shouted in relief, "I'm glad to see that you are okay. I heard you were imprisoned in the cellar for confinement. I am truly sorry for what Lord Roswaal has done to you."

"You are at no fault, Lady Emilia," replied Forschner, "The madman is the one who shall pay for his deeds."

Emilia looked surprised at his sudden turn of attitude.

"Lady Emilia?" Emilia repeated, "Why do you call me that all of a sudden?"

The commissar realized that she has no recognition of what happened in the life before.

"The madman has told me that you were a contender for the planetary governing position. As a commissar of the Imperial Guard, I show my respect to all those that deserve it."

"As cocky as always, I suppose," Beatrice murmured. The commissar chose to ignore her.

"Um, did they already tell you what is going on?" Emilia asked carefully.

"I have the gist of the situation," the commissar answered.

"Well, you are free to go whenever you want. We can even spare a carriage for you," Emilia told him.

"What?" Beatrice shouted at Emilia's overburdening act of kindness.

"It's alright, Beatrice. I won't ask for his help. We've done horrible things to him after all. And it's me the Witch Cult wants..." she trailed off, unable to look at Forschner's eyes.

Forschner looked at the apologetic half elf and made up his mind.

"Those heretics are enemies of mine as well," the commissar declared, "I will not rest until I see the world cleansed of their wretched kind. You have my assistance, Lady Emilia."

Emilia looked up in surprise as she expected a hostile reaction from the commissar.

"Are you sure?" she asked in disbelief.

"The last thing I would want," said the commissar, "is to grant those heretics what they desire. If you are what they are after, I certainly will not hand you over to them. Is that clear, Lady Emilia?"

Emilia smiled and said, "You are a good person, Forschner."

"Then you have not a clue what I am," he whispered in a solemn voice. Emilia tilted her head in confusion.

"Sir Commissar Forschner," Rem called out from behind them.

Rem brought over something that caught his eyes, an imperial lasgun. It seemed that the heretic has put his foul hands on Imperial wargears, and the commissar will now claim it back.

"By the grace of the Emperor! What else have you found in this mansion?" the commissar asked in excitement.

"There are a few more strange weapons and equipment, if you wish to look, Sir Commissar Forschner," said Rem. She brought out everything that her master had stored away in the armoury. What the commissar saw next was nothing less of a gift from the God Emperor himself. He had recovered two krak grenades, a laspistol, and energy cells. He hung the grenades on his belt, and holstered the laspistol, and stored away the rest in his pouches.

"If you are done, let us discuss your escape plan, I suppose," Beatrice said impatiently.

"Let the heretics come," challenged the commissar, inspecting the lasgun, "I will slaughter every filth that defiles the name of the Emperor to the last!"

 **A/N: I am probably going to update this story in a weekly bases instead of releasing each chapter whenever they are finished. As always, I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8: Forest Escape

The plan was simple: take the most direct route from the mansion to the capital. The challenge was keeping the cultists from stopping them. They have already repelled the cultists back a few times during night. The cultists withdrew after their failed attempts at burning down the mansion, but the mansion itself was now heavily damaged. Forschner looked out the window and saw the results of the skirmishes. Few dozens of dead cultists littered the mansion garden. All dressed in purplish robes and armed with daggers, these cultists bore close resemblance to the heretics that he had fought against for many years. Some, he had heard, were capable of using sorcery.

"It is a great view," the commissar joked, "The garden looks more impressive than ever."

"Try not to joke like that, Sir Commissar Forschner," Rem scolded him, appearing from behind the unaware commissar.

"Do not correct me again," the commissar snapped at her.

Rem simply lowered her head in politeness.

"And a simple 'Sir' or commissar is fine. You need not to call me 'Sir Commissar Forschner'. I am not of noble blood," he added, toning down his voice.

"Understood, Sir Forschner," said Rem.

The commissar sighed, "Not 'Sir Forschner', just 'Sir' or 'Commissar'."

"Understood, sir," Rem answered, bowing her head again.

"Leave the poor girl alone, Forschner," Emilia scolded him. Beatrice snickered, walking beside her.

The commissar lowered his head, "My apologizes, Lady Emilia."

Rem smiled with her head lowered, but the commissar pretended not to notice.

"The carriage is ready," said Rem, "All the necessary supplies are loaded. We must leave immediately before the Witch Cult strikes again."

"I will remain to guard this mansion," stated Beatrice, "You can escape while I distract them, I suppose."

"You're not coming with us?" Emilia asked in surprise.

"I have a duty to protect this mansion and the Library," Beatrice explained, "I will not leave this mansion, I suppose."

"Regardless, you must get out of here, Lady Emilia," Rem reminded her.

Emilia made a bitter face. Beatrice returned a cold shoulder.

"I don't want your pity, brat!" Beatrice yelled, puffing her cheeks like a child.

The commissar grabbed his lasgun and ran another functions check. The others turned their attention to the commissar's bizarre movements and watched him curiously. The commissar gave them a strange look.

"Are we staying here or not, Lady Emilia?" asked the commissar, finishing his checks, "If you wish to stay at this mansion, we can barricade here and hold them off. I do not mind which you choose as long as I am allowed to slaughter these cultists."

Emilia gave the commissar a disapproving look. She was too kind for her own good, poor trait for a person of her position, but that was not his concern.

The commissar began walking towards the exit, and everyone except Beatrice made their way downstairs towards the carriage. Emilia turned around at the door to take one last look at Beatrice. Beatrice turned her head to avoid her eyes, feigning annoyance. Emilia said goodbye and left the mansion.

"I did as you said, Bubby, but you are too careful, I suppose," Beatrice whispered, standing alone with a lonely expression.

The three ran up to the carriage which was driven by a lizard like beast. The commissar felt slightly uneasy at the sight of a strange beast but decided to quietly board the carriage anyway. Rem sat on the coachman's seat. Emilia sat in the far inside while the commissar sat in the outside with his lasgun ready to fire.

"Onward, Rem!" the commissar ordered.

Rem snapped the whip and the lizard beast began to dash. Despite being animal driven, the carriage moved at an incredible speed.

"Sir! Over there, in the woods!" Rem called out.

The commissar turned to find men in robes hiding in the treeline. He turned his lasgun to full auto at low power and unleashed its fury upon the cultists. The concentrated blast of charged laser burned through clothes and flesh alike. Despite the speed at which the carriage was moving, the lasgun's rapid fire setting allowed the commissar to fire a hail of lasers towards his target without worrying too much about accuracy.

A group of cultists raised their arms towards the carriage and fired a bright ball of flame. Rem held her hand out and shouted a spell of sort, forming a ward to protect the carriage. The initial blast was shielded by the maid's spell, but the maid suffered from a serious burn on her arm. The maid ground her teeth from pain. With the second blast incoming, the commissar pulled the maid from her seat into the carriage. The blast sent the carriage back, tearing the lizard beast into pieces. The commissar shielded the two from the blast with his coat, which was flame and blast resistant to a degree. With the carriage down, Rem jumped out from the wreckage with her flail in hand.

Forschner shook off the debris around him, only to find Emilia lying still. He quickly put his finger under her nose to check if she was breathing, which she was. Relieved, he crawled out from the wreckage and pulled Emilia out. The cultists began to surround them. The commissar raised his lasgun and fired repeatedly. The laser cut down the incoming cultist, blowing off limbs and leaving fist sized holes upon contact. Once the threat has been neutralized, the commissar turned his sight towards Rem.

Rem was agile and powerful. She jumped into the air and came down upon the cultists like a bullet charged with hatred. Each swing of the flail tore apart the cultists who were unfortunate enough to be hit. Some cultists attempted to throw their blades at her, but the commissar shot them down before they could. The road soaked red with cultist blood as the two continued to slay the men in purple robes.

Emilia opened her eyes to find herself lying behind a wrecked carriage. She quickly regained her senses and prepared for battle. But upon seeing the shredded cultists, she felt slightly sick. She still raised her arm to cast an ice spell, but the commissar stopped her hand.

"Lady Emilia," he said, "You stay behind cover. Rem and I will get rid of these vermin. Do not use your tricks if uncalled for."

Emilia made a stern expression, but she nodded in agreement. The commissar then jumped back into combat, charging towards the cultists attacking Rem. Rem had already suffered from two stab wounds from the cultists' daggers. Another cultist struck her from behind, thrusting his blade into her shoulder. Rem froze in place. She eyes suddenly turned wild as she shattered the head of her attacker. The commissar halted in his tracks and watched as a strange miasma surrounded the maid. She began giggling hysterically as she blindly swung her flail. She charged straight into the crowd of cultists, bashing them into the ground. Their blood and guts spew up as the maid ripped them to shreds and crushed their skulls. A bright red horn grew from atop her forehead as the light around her became ominous. She let out a terrifying roar and charged into the remaining cultists, smashing them into pieces.

Realizing that the maid was not being her usual self, Forschner yelled to get her attention, "Rem! I am impressed that you slay these heretics with such zeal, but you slay like a berserk madman. Has the rage consumed you?"

Rem looked back at the commissar with lifeless eyes, a sight that made the commissar withdraw his step. He raised his guard and slowly approached her.

"Rem? Is that still yourself?" he asked, pointing his lasgun.

Suddenly, she flung her steel ball towards the commissar. He jumped out of the way in the nick of time and raised his weapons at her.

"Hold on!" someone screamed, "Don't kill her."

A hail of ice fell around the furious maid as she roared and tried to break free. The commissar looked around in confusion, trying to find the source of the voice. Besides him, a small feline like creature floated around.

"By the Emperor! What is that thing?" he screamed.

"I am not a bad guy, Forschner," the creature said, "You will need to stop Rem. She is going berserk, if you haven't noticed already."

Aside from the unholy creature floating around, another thing caught the commissar's eyes. Emilia was holding her arm out; it seemed that she cast the spell. Forschner frowned at Emilia in disappointment. Emilia kept her ground as if to say she did the right thing.

"Hey!" said the cheerful floating feline, "If you get distracted, the oni will rip you to pieces. Lia's magic can only hold her for so long."

"Do not speak to me, Warp spawn!" Forschner yelled, keeping his weapon pointed at the rabid maid.

"I figured you'd say something like that," it said.

"Forschner, Puck is my Artificial Spirit. He is here to help." said Emilia.

"Artificial, huh?" Forschner repeated, observing the strange creature. He remembered the creating familiars with the appearance of cherub and birds. This creature seemed, however, too intelligent for a machine spirit. He was skeptical but decided to focus on the pressing issue at hand.

"What has drove Rem to such frenzy?" Forschner asked Emilia.

"Rem is an oni. She is a... an abhuman," Puck answered instead, "They can go berserk like that when their horns manifest but can't control their powers. But there is a way to get her back to normal."

"A creature like that is sanctioned? Forget it. How do we bring her back?" he asked impatiently, watching Rem struggling her way out of the cage of ice. Another hail of ice came down, reinforcing the cage. The maid slowly tore away the cage that bound her despite the constant barrage of ice.

"Strike her horn," said Puck, "A good solid strike should knock her back to herself."

"Shall I blast it off?"

"Nope," answered Puck. "That would be dangerous for her. Your mission is to hit it as hard as you can. Like 'Iyyyah!'" he said, making a swing motion.

A flail came hurling down on the commissar as Puck spoke.

"Holy Terra!" shouted Forschner, jumping out of the way. He glared at Puck, who made an apologetic shrug. He turned his attention to Rem's horn, too small of a target for an accurate strike. It would be much easier and safer to simply put the berserker down. Afterall, berserkers were more or less heretics.

"Cage her again, Lady Emilia," commanded Forschner, despite his better judgement, "Then I may be able to strike her horn."

Rem swung again, flinging her flail back and sending it forward towards the man in black coat. The commissar failed to step out of the way this time, taking the flail to his carapace armour. He flew back few dozen paces and tumbled on the ground.

"Forschner!" Emilia screamed.

Rem turned her attention towards the female in white, dragging her flail back. Puck readied his stance. Before Puck or Emilia had a chance to act, the commissar stood up, shaking off his damage, and charged towards the berserking maid with his power cutlass in hand. Rem turned in surprise and swung her flail once more, but the commissar slashed away her weapon, leaving only the chains in her tiny hand.

Taking advantage of the moment, Emilia and Puck both cast a spell, causing a hail of ice to trap the maid in place again. She screamed in madness as she tried to free herself. The commissar charged up to her, raising his blade. In a single motion, he struck her horn with the pommel of his weapon. With a loud thud, Rem's horn vanished, and the maid collapsed where she stood. The ice cage crumbled as she fell to the ground.

The commissar stepped back in relief while Emilia and Puck smiled. Forschner looked back at Emilia.

"Why do you smile so, Lady Emilia?" he asked, out of breathe.

"For nothing, Forschner" she answered.

The commissar simply stood there, confused for a moment, then he picked up the lasgun that was on the ground and immediately took aim.

"Do not let your guard down yet," he said, "The heretics return."

Emilia realized that more cultists were beginning to gather around them. The commissar began to fire at the incoming cultists. The cultists flew back as the charged laser hit them. Even still, the other cultists advanced. Emilia ran up and stood beside the commissar, ready to cast another spell.

Then, a carriage suddenly appeared from the other side of the road. An old man jumped out from the coachman's seat. In a flash, the old man stood between two headless cultists with a sword in hand. Emilia's eyes grew in surprise.

"Is that Lady Emilia, nya?" said a feminine voice.

Behind the old man, a beautiful felinid stepped out of the carriage. The felinid yelled at the stunned Emilia and commissar.

"Hurry up and get aboard the carriage, nya!"

"Who in the Emperor's name is that?" asked the commissar.

"That's Felix, one of the Royal Guards. I wonder why he is here?" Emilia said curiously.

"He? The felinid?" the commissar asked.

"Ferris will explain it later; nyow get in!" Felix ordered, waving them in.

The commissar fired off a few blasts into the crowd of cultists and threw Rem over his shoulder. He gestured Emilia to board the carriage first as he continued to fire into the distance. Once Emilia was aboard, he handed Rem to Felix and held on to the carriage by the handle on the side.

"Brace yourselves!" the old man shouted as he positioned himself back on the coachman's seat. He cracked his whip and the lizard beast began to dash off.

The commissar continued to shoot at the cultists while still hanging to the side of the carriage until he could see no more cultists; only then, he decided take a seat inside. He joined the group in the middle of their conversation.

"So, it's happening then," Emilia said with a serious expression.

"That's right, Lady Emilia, nya!" Felix said with a cheerful smile, "The royal selection is being held at the capital."


	9. Chapter 9: Home Away From Home

Forschner stepped out of the carriage first, followed by Rem and Emilia. He stood before the streets of a very familiar city, the Royal Capital of Lugnica. He had heard from Felix and the others about the history of this nation, the death of the King Randolph and the rest of the royal family and the prophecy written on the Dragon History Stone. While the commissar overlooked most of the stories as mere myths and primitive traditions of a feudal society, he understood that the election will decide the next ruler of this nation. As an abhuman, Emilia's path was a brutally difficult one.

As the knight Felix and the butler Wilhelm rode off in their carriage, Emilia, Rem, and the commissar began making their way towards a large conference building, guarded by fully armoured men. Forschner assisted Rem throughout the way due to her condition. Before the gate, a man in a white coat armed with a sword approached them. He appeared to be one of the knights of the realm.

"Lady Emilia," the man stepped up and took a bow, "I had heard that you got in an accident at Lord Roswaal's manor, but I am glad to see that you are alright."

"Yes, I am fine," said Emilia, turning to face him, "How are you, Julius?"

"The mere fact that you remember me is an honor, my lady. You have only grown more beautiful each time," he said as he knelt down and kissed her hand.

"Thank you. Forgive me for asking you so abruptly," said Emilia, "But I have a business here, and I'd like you to act as my agent in the castle."

The knight rised and noticed the stranger glaring in black coat standing beside Emilia and the maid leaning on his shoulder.

"Does your business involve this rude man in that strange cap?" the knight asked mockingly.

The commissar's eyes burned with irritation. "The man you have just mocked is Commissar Viktor Forschner of the 8th Cadian Regiment. May I ask whom I am speaking to?"

Julius made a face of challenge, "Julius Juuculius, Royal Guard and knight of Lady Anastasia of Hoshin Trading Company."

"Sir knight," said the commissar, his voice indicating hostility, "I would ask you refrain from mocking a commissar, especially when in uniform."

"I don't know what 'commissar' is, but I'll keep that in mind," said Julius, restraining himself, "Now, allow me to show you the conference mirrors."

Julius walked towards the guard, and Forschner followed after him, only to be stopped by Emilia.

"Forschner, you wait here," Emilia ordered, looking worried.

"Stay here, Lady Emilia?" he questioned.

"I don't think it will be a pleasant experience for you," she explained.

Forschner shook his head. If unpleasant experiences bothered him, he would not have been a commissar, but he did not bother telling her of his 'unpleasant' experiences.

"Understood, Lady Emilia," he answered, lowering his head, "I will find a place of rest for Rem, firsthand, and await your return out here before dusk."

Upon leaving Rem to rest in a local inn, the commissar returned to the building and awaited for Emilia all afternoon. The sun was going down, and orange light of dusk illuminated the streets. The commissar stood there quietly. Just above him, he saw what he thought was a flash of light, like a comet with two tails, fly across the starless sky. He curiously stared upon the redden sky of dusk.

"Forschner, " Emilia called out, coming out of the building, "I'm sorry I took so long."

She ran to him with an apologetic look. The commissar simply lowered his head in acknowledgment.

"It was nothing, Lady Emilia. Has your business been resolved?" he asked, looking up.

Emilia nodded. The commissar turned around.

"Allow me to show you the place at which Rem is located. She is currently resting to regain her strength," he said as he began to walk towards the inn.

"I'm sorry," said Emilia, "That I made you wait."

"You need not be," he replied. The commissar continued walking. It was not of his concern what happens at the conference. As they started walking back, Forschner saw a group of gangers dragging a noble lady to the back alley. Forschner continued to walk, then Emilia grabbed him by his sleeve.

"I think she might be in trouble," said Emilia, worried.

"As most unfortunate souls are. You cannot save everyone, Lady Emilia," he replied.

"Still, Forschner, I want to make sure she's alright," Emilia stated.

Forschner let out a short sigh and followed Emilia to the back alley. There they found three wretched gangers trying to steal from the lady in the fancy red dress. The lady put a fan over her face, covering half of her face.

"Stop now, and I'll let it slide," Emilia told the gangers, "So graciously return what you stole."

The lady in red turned around, as Emilia froze where she stood. The lady began laughing in an pretentious manner. Forschner cringed his eyebrow.

"Hohoho, if it isn't the devilish half-elf? Come to save me from these uncivilized slum-dwellers? How heroic of you," she jeered, looking down on Emilia.

Emilia was at a loss for words. The three hooligans laughed while one quietly drew a blade. Forschner stepped in, drawing his sword. In a single motion, he dashed up to the ganger with a blade and put his sword on his neck. The ganger dropped to his knees while his companions watched in fear.

"You dare draw a blade when the lady speaks? You truly have no desire to live, do you?" Forschner threatened.

The terrified hooligan dropped his blade and begged for his life. The lady in red watched with great enthusiasm.

"The sentence for your insolence," declared Forschner, "is death." He raised his cutlass into the air. Right as he was about to make his swing, Emilia jumped in.

"FORSCHNER! STOP IT!" Emilia screamed.

Forschner stopped and stared at the ganger with his sword already halfway down. He asked without lifting his blade, "Is something the matter with my judgment, Lady Emilia?"

"You can't kill him for something like this," Emilia tried to explain.

"Something like attempting to murder a royal candidate? Your servant had made the right call. At least your servant has the right mind, witch," the red lady spoke.

"It's not right," said Emilia, her voice cracking, "Release him, Forschner."

Forschner glared at the trembling young man and slowly withdrew his blade.

"Scatter," the commissar commanded, "Or I will paint these streets in your blood."

The three gangers fled from the scene as fast as their legs carried them. The noble lady made a satisfied smile and walked up to Forschner. She drew close to him and stared into his eyes. Forschner did not flinch or back away.

"It's a pity. You'd make a fine servant for me," she said, stepping back, "I wonder if I can get you to work for me."

Emilia's expression turned grim. Forschner gave one look to Emilia and turned back to the lady in red.

"It's getting dark, Lady Emilia," he said, turning coldly away from the lady in red, "We should head towards our lodge."

Forschner faced the lady in red. "Have a safe night, fair lady," he said, then he walked away with Emilia behind him.

The noble lady made a bitter smile and covered her face again with her fan as the two walked away.

"Wait!" shouted Emilia, walking after the commissar, "Forschner!"

The commissar turned around curiously.

"You didn't need to be so cold or cruel to either of them," she scolded, "Sometimes, I really don't like that about you."

Forschner made a nonchalant expression.

"Shall we keep walking?" he asked.

Upon arrival at the inn, Forschner entered the room to find Rem sitting up on her bed.

"How are you, sir?" she asked, "Did Lady Emilia's business get resolved-"

Rem was interrupted by Emilia entering the room, who was rejoiced when she saw Rem awake.

"Rem! How are you feeling?" she asked, walking up to the maid.

The maid's face turned red as she tried to jump out of the bed to greet her lady. Emilia stopped her and sat her back down.

"Rem is terribly sorry for causing trouble, Lady Emilia," Rem apologized.

"No. Don't be sorry," Emilia consoled her, "Without you, we wouldn't have made it back."

"But Rem remembers," she said, looking troubled, "It was Commissar Forschner who brought me back on his shoulder. I apologize for my incompetence."

Forschner sat beside Rem and removed his cap.

"If you have realized your mistake, do not allow it to occur a second time. That is the only apology that I am willing to accept," he told her.

Emilia frowned at the commissar's attempt at consolation. Forschner simply shrugged it off.

"Hey, Forschner," Emilia asked carefully.

The commissar lent his ear.

"About tomorrow," said Emilia, "I want you to stay here and nurse Rem."

"Would I not be of better use besides you?" Forschner asked.

"Rem needs someone to nurse her," said Emilia.

Rem shook her head in denial.

"Rem doesn't need anyone to nurse her. Please, go take care of business, sir," the maid told Forschner.

"What brought you to the conclusion that I would be of better use besides Rem?" Forschner questioned.

"I just think Rem needs someone to look after her until she is better," she replied.

Forschner sighed.

"Lady Emilia," he said, calmly, "You need not to lie to me. If you wish for me to do something, just give me the order, and it shall be done. There's no need for you to explain anything."

"No, Forschner," she quickly replied, "It's not a lie. I really believe Rem needs someone to look after her for a while."

Forschner gave a look of doubt, and Emilia gave in.

"It's true that I want you to look after Rem. I also don't want you to follow me to the court. You see, the Royal Elections is an event for the candidates and their patrons and knights."

"So you don't think it is a place for me?" Forschner asked bitterly.

"No, no," Emilia replied, "That's not what I meant Forschner."

"You need not to explain yourself to me, Lady Emilia," Forschner stopped her, "You are correct to believe that I have no place among the highborns. I will do as you ask and tend for Rem until your return."

Emilia looked shocked at first, but she smiled in relief.

"Thank you, Forschner," she said, tearing up, "For being so understanding."

Forschner jumped up in surprise, not knowing what to do.

"Lady Emilia, why are you crying?" he asked in confusion and irritation.

Emilia wiped her tears, smiling like a fool. Forschner realized that there was no need for him to act. He sat back down and decided to allow her to let out her tears.

Rem watched them with a satisfied look. She leaned closer to Forschner and whispered.

"Sir, this is the first time Rem has seen you smile."

Forschner turned to her with a surprised look. Rem was looking back at him, smiling. Forschner began to chuckle. He did not understand what was going on, but he laughed. For the first time in a long time, he felt a sense of belonging. He wondered if this what it felt like to have a place called home.


	10. Chapter 10: Commissar's Duty

"Forschner, you don't have to do this."

Emilia stood by the door in her usual white and purple outfit, looking slightly apologetic.

"I do not mind at all, my lady," Forschner replied, putting on his coat, "After all, nursing Rem is but a front, and the true reason that you wanted me absent was so that I do not enter the court. That, I plan to hold true. But I will not have you go to the court on your own without an escort."

Forschner then swiveled around in search of something.

"Sir, are you looking for this?"

Rem picked up the tall officer's cap.

"Leave the cap!"

Rem jolted at the commissar's thundering voice. Emilia stared at Forschner with terrified eyes.

Forschner realized the current mood and averted his gaze.

"I apologize, Rem. I did not mean to... Please let me retrieve my own gear."

He said as he picked up his cap and held it by his side.

Rem bowed her head in shame.

"I apologize, sir. I didn't realize..."

Forschner stopped her.

"No. The fault lies with me. You have done no wrong."

He looked down at his cap and gently brushed the golden crest of the double headed eagle.

"This cap," he spoke, "means more to me than my own life."

Rem looked up at the commissar, who stared at his cap with sorrowful eyes.

"I was blessed with this cap by the Schola Progenium to represent the Imperium, as a symbol of authority and unwavering courage of the Imperial Guard. To me, this cap is who I am and what I stand for.

When I was but a small child, my parents... who were Rogue Traders, died in a tragic accident during their voyage. I was a void shield malfunction. I was present during this accident. Somehow, I was the only survivor of this event.

As a child, I was tortured and interrogated for signs of taint, which they did not find. The Inquisitor at the time gave me two options, to be put to death or enter the Schola Progenium. Of course, I chose the latter. Perhaps it would have been smarter to have me executed, but by the Emperor's blessings, I was given other chance to live, as a servant of the Emperor."

He raised his cap to eye level.

"This officer's cap is my second chance. I should have died many years ago, but somehow I did not-"

Forschner paused and chuckled. He did die, many times and over already.

"Anyhow, I apologize Rem. I should have informed you of this before."

Rem desperately shook her head.

"No, no, no, sir. I didn't know how important that cap was to you. It was my insolence. I should have known better as a maid."

Forschner made a slight nod.

"Well then, shall we be off, Lady Emilia? I'm afraid we are now short on time."

Emilia jumped in surprise.

"Huh? Oh. Yes, we should."

She clumsily walked out the door before Forschner could hold the door open.

…...

The capital seemed more crowded than usual, undoubtedly due to the Royal Election. There were people from all over the kingdom here for all sorts of business.

The carriage carrying Emilia and the Commissar stopped before the court. Forschner exited first to help Emilia off. Before the gate, they were greeted by Julius.

"Lady Emilia, you are as gorgeous as always," said the knight. He grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"Hello Julius."

Emilia greeted.

"I would greet you, but I suppose you'd return a cold shoulder," Julius scoffed, looked at the silent commissar standing beside Emilia.

The commissar looked down at the knight. He seemed to be wearing a pendant. The insignia flashed before his eyes and with that, the commissar drew his laspistol.

It was so sudden that not even Julius had time to react.

"FORSCHNER!"

Emilia screamed.

"You! Show me that pendant!"

Julius made an angry face.

"I do not know what you are doing, but it is making me uncomfortable."

Julius's hand was on his sword.

"Show me the pendant!"

Forschner screamed; there was mad rage in his voice.

Julius scoffed once more and drew his pendant with his left hand, the right still on his sword.

The pendant flashed in sunlight, the mark of the Dark Gods – Eight Pointed Star.

The commissar's eyes grew with frantic rage.

"Why do you possess such an item?" he asked.

Julius raised his brow.

"It is our faction symbol. Why do you ask?"

The commissar gripped his laspistol harder.

"Have you pledged your allegiance to it?"

"Forschner! Stop that!" Emilia screamed.

"Of course," replied Julius, "Why do you ask?"

Forschner and Julius stared off with fearsome aura. Emilia tried to stopped the determined commissar with no avail.

"Regrettable," said the commissar, lowering his laspistol.

"Is that magic?" asked Julius, lowering his guard.

But the commissar continued without answering.

"By the authority blessed to me by the Golden Throne, for your crime of Highest of Treason and Heresy, your punishment is death!"

Julius's eyes flashed as the commissar quickly raised his laspistol to the knight's forehead and fired. With a flash of bright yellow light, the knight fell to his knees.

Emilia screamed in terror; lights were lost from her eyes.

The guards rushed in and surrounded the commissar, who stared at the body of the knight with no remorse. The ground soaked with Julius's blood.

"Forschner! What have you done?" Emilia asked with trembling voice, covering her mouth with her shaking hand.

Forschner answered with stern look on his face, dropping his laspistol.

"My duty, Lady Emilia, my duty."


	11. Chapter 11: Unexpected Arrival

Forschner sat in a dark cell, stripped of all his gear. The guards even took his coat and hat, which costed a guard his nose and teeth. Bruised and bloodied, Forschner stared down at his feet from his seat when he felt a presence outside his cell.

"There was no need for you to come... Lady Emilia."

Forschner spoke in a grim and painful voice, raising himself up.

He found Emilia by his cell, looking troubled, in her usual white and purple outfit. She averted her gaze and bit her lip.

"Why, Forschner? Why did you do it?"

Forschner looked at her with almost sad eyes, but there was no regret.

"I had to, Lady Emilia. It was my sole purpose and duty, and I would do it again."

Emilia looked up with eyes of horror. There were slight tears in her eyes.

"Was it worth it?" she asked with trembling voice.

"It's worth everything," he replied.

Emilia held back her tears as she turned away.

"I don't get you, Forschner. I don't understand! Why? What was it for? Can't you hold back even the slightest? Why do you always cause trouble? Why?"

Emilia turned away, hiding her face. Forschner did not speak; he only listened.

Emilia wiped her tear.

"They are sending you to Roswaal's mansion to be his prisoner until your sentence is decided."

For the first time Forschner's expression changed into one of shock.

"That heretic... was there?"

Emilia continued to avert her gaze, speaking only to the floor.

"He said he will have you as his prisoner since I am under his protection, and you are under mine. It was done under the pretense that Lord Roswaal will take care of the situation with minimal damage. But the damage is done, Forschner."

"Lady Emilia, you have seen what the heretic has done! He speaks lies and corrupts."

Forschner slammed on the bars, rattling the cell and startling Emilia.

"You must not let those heretics take me!"

Emilia looked at Forschner with pitiful eyes.

"I'm sorry, Forschner. I can't do that. You took that choice from me."

Forschner ground his teeth in anger.

"Then you kill me here instead."

Emilia looked at Forschner in disgust and fright, then turned away in tears.

"You can't ask me to something like that! Why are you always like that? Is dying that easy to you? Why can't you change?"

 _Dying... Easy? Huh..._

Forschner thought to himself. It wasn't until lately that dying has become something so easy for him.

"I... I can not change, but perhaps I was wrong to ask you to kill me. I shall comply for now, Lady Emilia. Forgive me."

Emilia covered her mouth and walked away.

"Goodbye... Forschner."

Forschner heard her murmur from a distance before disappearing from sight. He quietly fell to his seat and lowered his head in pain. He gathered his hands before his head and bowed.

"Our most glorious Emperor of Mankind, what is it that you wish me to do? Please, shine your beacon of light and give me directions."

He pleaded desperately.

…...

A man in towering gold armour stepped into the capital. He was an older male with short grey hair brushed to the side and a beard. He held a mechanized hammer in his right hand.

"So this is the capital of Lugnica. What an astounding view."

He raised his left hand to shade his eyes. His stature drew attention of all the people walking past him. A younger male walked beside him, blonde hair and wearing black chest plate over his fatigue, slinging a gun over his shoulder.

"This place reeks of mutants and heretic scums," the man in black armour muttered.

"Now, now. Let's not say that. One day, this world will also learn of the glory of the Emperor. But the time will not come if we fail to find him."

The man in golden armour spoke to his retinue.

"I do not understand, my lord. This is an old, abandoned world, far from any civilized worlds. Why would anyone from the Imperial Guard-"

The man in gold armour stopped him.

"In High Gothic, Lexandros. I can't have my retinue speak in such low tongue."

"I apologize, my lord. Astra Militarum, let alone an officer of the Officio Prefectus, in this forsaken world?"

The man in gold armour chuckled, his grey beard dancing as he laughed. He stroked his beard with his giant gloved hand.

"If my visions hold true, we shall meet him here. Otherwise, we have wasted our trip here. Now how often does my visions hold true, Lexandros?"

Lexandros stuttered for a bit.

"All the time, my lord."

The man laughed once more.

"Then hold faith in the Emperor and do as I say."

A rosette of a crimson "I" with a skull etched in the centre hung from the man's belt.


	12. Chapter 12: Sin Archbishop

A caged wagon was carrying Forschner in chains to Roswaal's manor. Forschner sat quietly in rags, bounded by shackles. However, his face showed no fear or remorse. The ride was bumpy as he remembered from last, during the fight with the cultists. He had endured torture from Roswaal once and did not want a second, yet to show fear was to lose. He kept his stoic face throughout the ride.

Suddenly, the horses stopped in the middle of the woods. The guards stepped out to find out the reason. The driver had a dagger stuck halfway through his chest.

"Ambush!" screamed one of the guards. There were only 4 guards in total.

Forschner drew closer to the bars to see what was happening.

"Witch Cultists! Several of them!"

The guards maintained a defensive formation around the wagon.

 _Agent of Chaos..._ Forschner thought to himself.

Forschner could make out the figures hiding in the woods. They were the same cultists as the ones he fought.

 _Roswaal... Have you come to escort me?_ He thought.

The cultists rushed out and threw their daggers at the guards, who fell helplessly to the ambush.

A spray of blood wet the commissar's face as the guards were slaughtered before him. Then, the commissar noticed something different. The marking on their forehead was unlike the cultists that attacked the commissar and his group before.

One such cultists approached the caged commissar, his dagger still dripping with fresh blood.

"Have you come to get me, heretic?"

The commissar glared at the cultist without a hint of fear or worry.

The cultist raised his hand to form a spell. The commissar did not turn away or close his eyes. His faith demands that he does not cower.

…...

Some time ago, Lexandros found the blue haired maid who desperately ran around in search for someone or something.

"You there! In the maid dress!"

Lexandros yelled across the street. Rem turned with a hostile look on her face. Lexandros thought that he had just made the wrong first impression but did not feel the need to act differently.

"Who are you?"

Rem asked in a growling tone.

"You are the abhuman who is acquainted with the commissar, correct?"

Rem raised her guard at the word "commissar".

"No need to raise your guard against me. I am an agent of the Golden Throne. Uh... here."

He rummaged around his pocket for the proof. He held his golden Aquila pendant. He didn't really understand how that will help; he was simply following his master's orders. To his surprise, Rem seemed to recognize the symbol. She slightly lowered her guard.

 _I guess the Emperor's glory shines even in the lowest of worlds._ Lexandros thought.

"That pendant... where did you get it?" she asked the man in the black carapace armour.

"This?" said Lexandros, raising his pendant, "Everyone has it. It the symbol of the Imperium," he answered, stuffing his pendant back into his fatigue pocket.

Rem's eyes grew with surprise.

"Do you serve in the same army as Master Commissar Forschner?"

Lexandros scratched his head.

"So, that's his name. Uh... Yes and no. I'm an inquisitorial storm troo- I meant Tempestus Scion, not of an Astra Militarum regiment, but we come from the same school, sort to speak. But never mind that. Do you know where he is?"

Rem shook her head. Lexandros cursed silently.

"But I was told he was being transported to Lord Roswaal's manor. It seems something has happened on the road there."

"Frak it all! Alright... Well, I still need you to come with us."

Lexandros stretched his hand out.

"Rem can not until Rem is able to find Lady Emilia," Rem declared, ignoring Lexandros's hand.

Lexandros wanted to shoot something. He was not suited for such task. He excelled at killing horrors, not negotiating with mutants. Still, he held down his urge for the sake of his master.

"Look, I don't really care for all that, but I guarantee you that my master will be able to find them a hundred times faster than anyone in this damned world. Come. I will show you to him."

…...

The commissar regained his conscious and slowly opened his eyes. He discovered a strange pale faced man staring back at him, tilting his head.

"You... Are you Pride?"

The thin man with green hair wearing the cultist's purple robe stood before him. He held Forschner's chin with his grotesquely pale fingers. Forschner shook the man's grasp and continued to glare down at the horror of a man before him with undying eyes.

"You are truly... slothful."

Forschner darted forward, only to be stopped by the chains that bound him.

"Kill me and be done with it, heretic!"

The commissar growled with bloodshot eyes.

The man started to dishevel his hair and face with maddening movements.

"AHHHHH! This is truly, truly, truly, truly, awful!"

The man leaned forward and spoke in a very calming tone.

"I can not... do that."

His smile was enough to drive fear into even the bravest of men, but Forschner was no stranger to terror. He stared right back into the abyss.

"Because my master wants you."

"Wha-" Forschner stuttered at the unexpected reply.

The thin man began to squeeze his own face as if to squeeze the life out of it.

"AHHHHHHHHH! Feigning ignorance! You are truly slothful! My brain trembles!"

The man suddenly licked the commissar's face. The commissar responded by bashing his head against the thin man's face.

The man's head was slight thrown back as he bit his tongue. There was blood dripping from his lip. But the man showed little sign of agony.

"It saddens me to be treated like this! Even though I am treating you this nicely!"

The thin man bend over backwards, clawing on his face.

"What are you, you unholy thrall? Speak!" Forschner questioned.

The man stopped his thrashing and screaming and turned his head like an owl towards the commissar. He, then, gathered himself and stood before the commissar in a respectful manner and bowed.

"I am Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop, representative of Sloth, Betelgeuse Romanee Conti!"

With a terrifying smile, the man looked up in a bowed position. His eyes were almost protruding from their sockets. Commissar yet maintained his composure.

"You have just declared yourself a heretic, for which I shall deliver your sentence myself," the commissar promised.

"Truly..." Betelgeuse smiled, licking his bloody lips, "You are prideful."

Betelgeuse grabbed the commissar's face and slammed his head against the rocks behind him, screaming like a madman. Blood ran from the commissar head down to his face.

"AHHHHHHHHH! For what purpose those my master have for such a man? Why do you deserve her LOVE? This man who does nothing! This is slothful. Truly slothful!" Betelgeuse continued to ramble, grabbing his head, "My brain... trembles."

Commissar was still recovering from the head bashing. He spit what tasted like blood to the side. From his blurry vision, he saw a cultist approach Betelgeuse in a hasty manner. Betelgeuse lent his ear to the cultist.

"An issue. Huh. Huh. Uninvited guests? They have slaughtered several of us? Huh... And you did nothing?"

Betelgeuse turned his grim face towards the cultist.

"You... are truly... slothful."

Betelgeuse grabbed the cultist's head and bashed it against the rocky floor. The commissar could hear the crunch of the skull as the blood seeped through the cultist's hood and into the ground.

"Find those intruders! If they are alive, kill them. If they are dead, bring me there heads. There is love to be shared. LOVE!"


	13. Chapter 13: Revelation

Several slain cultists' bodies litter the woods. Many of them looked as if crushed by a boulder or some sort. The Inquisitor in golden power armour stood in the centre with his hammer, which emit a glowing blue field. Lexandros was going from corpse to corpse, shooting them in the head to make sure they stay dead. Rem, with her bloodied flail, stood beside the Inquisitor, still shocked from the result of the battle.

The man in golden armour used a hammer that made a thundering noise with every strike. And the foe that was hit would crumble as if crushed by something heavy. Rem would not have believe such weapon was capable of delivering so much damage, especially a hand held weapon. The man must be incredibly more powerful than he looks, she thought.

A while back, the man in black breast plate led Rem to the man in golden armour, whom he introduced as an Inquisitor. The Inquisitor promised that he will help Rem find Lady Emilia, if she assisted in finding Viktor Forschner. When she agreed, the Inquisitor asked if she knew of a cave near the road to Roswaal's Mansion. While looking for such cave, they were attacked by a horde of cultists, numbering in the twenties. The battle lasted no more than 10 minutes.

"This is too easy. I can kill cultists in my sleep. Isn't there some possessed mutant lying around somewhere?"

Lexandros boasted with a grin across his face, unable to hide his excitement for battle. The Inquisitor sighed.

"Lexandros. Make yourself humble."

Lexandros scratched his head.

"There. I see a cave, sir."

Rem shouted, pointing towards a rocky cave.

"Excellent, Rem. Now let us go find Master Forschner, shall we," said the Inquisitor, resting his hammer over his right shoulder.

…...

A cultist flew into to the cave attached to a giant flail. Forschner recognized this weapon, as it belonged to Rem. Rem entered the cave, followed by two others. Forschner's eyes grew with bewilderment.

"How fantastic! A girl and two others enter the cave with no help, to rescue this man! Fantastic!"

Betelgeuse screamed fanatically, stretching his arms out towards the uninvited guests.

"Ah. I finally find you. Excellent. Lexandros, unbound Master Forschner, will you?" said the Inquisitor, stroking his beard with his left hand. Betelgeuse began to squirm.

"AHHHHH! To be ignored! How cruel."

The cultists lashed out at the group, only to fall under a howl of laser fire. Forschner recognized this weapon as well, Ryza Pattern, Hot-Shot Volley Gun, a favored weapon of the storm troopers. Lexandros fired at the chains that bound the commissar, freeing him.

"My brain... trembles," murmured Betelgeuse.

A hail of shadow like hands stretched from Betelgeuse's back towards the storm trooper.

"Look out!" "Lexandros!"

Both Forschner and the Inquisitor shouted. Instinctively, Lexandros jumped out of the way of the hands, still confused at what just happened. There was a crater at where he formerly stood. Betelgeuse began chewing on his hand.

"It can not be. It can not be The Unseen Hand. Can you see it?"

Betelgeuse turned his face towards the commissar with bewildering eyes.

"My, my. It seems that we have revealed ourselves too quick, Forschner," the Inquisitor spoke with booming voice as he walked towards Betelgeuse, "It seems his 'hands' are only visible to us."

Betelgeuse chewed his hands even faster.

"It can not be. It can not. My Invisible Hand is seen by two people other than myself. It can not be! How truly... How truly!"

Several hands lashed out, this time, at the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor simply chuckled and slashed the air in front of him, causing a thundering boom of bluish mist. The "hands" dissipated as it came into contact with the field of bluish mist. The Inquisitor raised his hammer towards Betelgeuse.

"This wargear, bestowed upon me by the Emperor's Holy Inquisition, is a relic. You, nor any unholy creature, can not best it."

The Inquisitor charged at Betelgeuse, swinging his hammer. Lexandros ran over to the commissar to help him up. The commissar refused his help and got to his feet on his own. The storm trooper handed him a boltpistol.

"Just don't shoot me with it, sir."

Lexandros joked. Commissar took the weapon without smiling.

"That will depend on your action, trooper," replied Forschner.

The Inquisitor swiftly dodged the incoming "hands" and closed his gap, striking at Betelgeuse with his mighty thunder hammer. Betelgeuse manage to escape the blast of energy by maneuvering his body with the help of the Unseen Hand.

Suddenly, a volley of laser fire blew several holes on Betelgeuse, creating mists of flesh and blood where it swept. Betelgeuse looked phased for a moment then proceeded to scream in frustration.

"THIS CAN NOT BE! THIS CAN NOT BE!"

Before Betelgeuse can do anything more, the Inquisitor's hammer descended on the fanatic. With a thundering noise, Betelgeuse was reduced to a mush of blood and guts. His dying body twitched with desperation.

"I was loved by..."

BLAM-

The commissar shot a round clean through the center of the eyes with the bolt pistol, to leave no doubt.

"Your sentence," the commissar declared, "is death."

Forschner looked down at the mangled body of his foe.

"I told you that I will deliver your sentence personally," he muttered.

Rem looked slightly relieved at the commissar's well-being.

"Come to find me, Rem?" asked Forschner, turned towards the maid with a flail.

"We need to find Lady Emilia, sir. She is missing," said Rem, hiding her emotion.

"Lady Emilia?" Forschner repeated with a surprised look. He turned to the Inquisitor.

"I apologize for my late introduction. I am Inquisitor Holtz. That is Lexandros, my follower."

The Inquisitor stepped forward, his towering stature looming over Forschner. Forschner made a slight bow.

"Commissar Viktor Forschner of the 8th Cadian, my lord."

"Yes. I know. I came here to find you, Master Forschner," Inquisitor Holtz said with a chuckle.

"To find me, my lord?"

Suddenly there was a rush of cold air. It was midday outside when the Inquisitor and the others entered the cave. Now, it was freezing cold.

"What in the Emperor's name..."

"Lexandros. Do you throw the Emperor's holy name in vein."

Lexandros retreated slightly. Inquisitor Holtz looked at his gloved hands, slightly frosted, and clenched a fist. He made a grim face and turned towards the commissar.

"Master Forschner. I have a task for you," said Holtz with eyes of conviction, "It is a task of great import."

"I shall give my life if it comes to it, my lord," Forschner swore. Holtz frowned at the commissar's statement but continued.

"I understand your devotion, but I ask you put more value in your life, Master Forschner," said the Inquisitor, "I need you to head to the Roswaal Manor. There you will find the girl with pointy ears and white hair."

"Lady Emilia," whispered Forschner.

The inquisitor gave a nod and continued.

"Yes. But she is no longer the same person that you have known. She is but a husk. Her flesh is worn by a dark entity, an abomination from the depths of the Immaterium."

The inquisitor's revelation was enough to make even a man like Forschner feel the meaning of terror.

"You do not mean..."

"Yes, Master Forschner. It is a daemon that which controls her."

Lexandros spit on the floor and shook off his shutter.

"By the Emperor's blessings, there are a ship full of Tempestus Scions and Adeptus Astartes who specialize in destruction of such entities ready to purge this world of the evil that grasps it."

Rem butt in, lashing at the inquisitor.

"Purge? You didn't tell me-"

Lexandros stopped her path, tapping on his hot-shot volley gun. Rem slowly back off, glaring at the trooper.

"I assure you, young lady, that no righteous will be harmed. They will only purge the evil that dwells here, and unfortunately, they are legion. But they can not began their task if the daemon's name is unknown."

Forschner looked confused.

"But how shall I assist you in this task, my lord?"

The inquisitor raised his hand to stop him.

"Please, drop the 'lord' part. It makes me quite uncomfortable, Master Forschner. Simple 'Inquisitor' would suffice," Holtz corrected.

"But-"

"I insist, Master Forschner."

Forschner nodded.

"As you wish, Inquisitor."

Holtz continued after clearing his throat.

"She goes by the name Satella the Witch of Envy. However, her true name is unknown to us. My visions tell me that you will find her name in the manor, where she awaits you. Lexandros will accompany you for this mission. I... need to have a word with the one who brought this cold. We must hurry, for we are short on time."

Holtz finished with a slight look of bitterness. Lexandros wanted to object but held his tongue. Now was not the place. Instead, he walked up to the inquisitor and whispered over his towering shoulder.

"This is a reckless plan, my lord, but I assume that you have seen the outcome, yes?"

Holtz laughed bitterly.

"The visions... they speak of death. For all of us... Emperor protects."

"But we do win?"

"That I am not certain. My visions do not show victory, but victory is certain as told by the Lord Inquisitor. I can only trust in the Emperor and do as the Lord Inquisitor commands. Master Forschner must do this. I must buy him time."

Lexandros realized something his master's eyes and raised his voice in frustration.

"No... No! My lord, if your visions say otherwise, then you should inform the Lord Inquisitor that-"

"LEXANDROS! Know! Your! Place!"

The inquisitor scolded the trooper with booming voice. Lexandros retreated.

"I apologize, my lord."

"Trust in the Emperor and his servants, for they speak His words. Do not forget your teaching, Lexandros. I believe in the Lord Inquisitor. There are many that I share with you, Lexandros, and there are many which I do not, with great reason. These are one such things."

Lexandros clenched his teeth and muttered under his breathe.

"Emperor protects..."

The inquisitor turned to the maid.

"Young lady... I understand that you must be confused. It is your choice to whether to leave or join Master Forschner in finding your master."

Rem hesitated for a moment but made up her mind.

"Rem was saved once by Master Forschner. I will go with him," she said, smiling at Forschner.

Holtz also smiled as his placed his hammer over his shoulder.

"Excellent. Now, shall we proceed? Tempus fugit."

Having said a strange phrase, the inquisitor walked out of the cave.

"I shall join you outside, sir," said Lexandros, following the inquisitor.

Rem and Forschner looked at each other for a brief moment.

"Never rains, only pours, eh?" said Forschner with a light shrug.

"It's good to see you again, sir. Rem was certain that you were dead."

"As was I. Quite the routine nowadays, I suppose... Come now. We must not keep the Inquisitor waiting."

The two made their way out of the bloodied cave, leaving Betelgeuse's corpse in the dark.


	14. Chapter 14: Beast of the End

The world has gone cold, and the ground beneath froze. Trees lost their leaves, and snow covered the road in white. Forschner's newly formed group trudged through inches of snow in blistering cold. Rem looked rather fine, but the rest were mere humans. As tough as they were, they weren't immune to the cold. Lexandros silently thanked the Emperor that he wasn't part of the Valhallans. In prolonged silence, the three continued to walk towards the manor, where the horror await. Lexandros remembered what his master had told him and felt slightly uneasy.

"Commissar, sir."

He broke the silence. Forschner, who was up ahead at the time, looked back with irritation.

"What is it, trooper?"

Lexandros ran up to his side with his gun slung over his shoulder.

"I feel the need to tell you, sir. Lord Holtz had informed me already of his... visions."

Forschner continued walking as he listened. He looked back to see that Rem was following them from two steps behind, for courtesy's sake. Lexandros continued.

"My lord has informed me that in his vision, which are never wrong, he had seen all of our deaths, including his own."

Forschner did not stop or slow.

"So is the inquisitor sending us to our deaths?" the commissar asked with the same irritated tone.

"He said that the Lord Inquisitor claimed that victory is certain, but if my lord does not see such victory in his vision..."

"What has the inquisitor said regarding this matter?" the commissar asked.

"He wishes to follow the Lord Inquisitor's orders, but-"

"But?"

Forschner stopped and turned with menacing eyes. Lexandros also stopped, noticing a bolt pistol placed at his throat. Rem watched with shocked eyes but did not interject.

"Do tell me, trooper..." the commissar spoke with voice colder than the surroundings, "Do you think your judgment wiser than the Lord Inquisitor or Inquisitor Holtz, himself?"

"No, sir."

"Then?"

"Nothing, sir. It's just the cold talking."

Forschner lowered his weapon and continued walking. Rem followed right after with a sigh of relief.

"I understand that you care dearly for your master, but if the Inquisitor believes that our death will result in victory, what say do any of us have in this matter?"

Forschner spoke, without turning or looking back.

"Now is your time to leave... Rem," Forschner changed his tone. Rem jolted slightly at the unexpected comment.

"Lexandros and I are sworn warriors of the Emperor. It is our duty to die for the glory of His name. You, however, owe no such duty."

Lexandros wanted to interject that all beings owe the Emperor their lives, but he felt that he should not throw his life away yet.

"Rem owes you, sir. Rem will not leave until her debt is paid."

Forschner chuckled.

"Is that so..."

No one else spoke after. They continued walking in their newly found silence.

…...

The beast looked back with glowing yellow eyes. A lone man in golden armour walked up to the monstrous feline like creature.

 _Who are you?_

The monster spoke as if speaking into the inquisitor's mind. Holtz did not like anyone speaking into his mind, but he was quite familiar with the experience.

"I have come to speak with you, Beast of the End."

The beast turned its massive body towards the inquisitor. The inquisitor realized that the air has become much colder than before. Without his power armour, he might have just froze to death.

 _I have none to say to you, mortal!_

"But I have plenty to say to you," said Holtz, pointing his hammer at the beast, "I have come to ask that you halt the destruction of this world. Your actions achieve nothing."

The beast's yellow eyes grew increasing menacing. The creature bore down, its gigantic head stopping only metres before the inquisitor.

 _And who are you to speak to me as such?_

The inquisitor did not flinch or retreat.

"You know better than anyone that you can not stop her. Your tantrum will not solve a thing. But I know someone you can fix this. He needs time."

 _Foolish mortal. What makes you believe that I will listen to your request after such mockery?_

Holtz let out a bitter a sigh.

"I knew that words will not get through that thick mutant skull of yours," he said, swing his hammer over his shoulder.

 _Fool. Do you think to defeat me?_

"I have seen the glory of the Emperor at the end of this journey. I will buy him time."

The beast struck down with monstrous claws, but the inquisitor evaded with flashing speed.

 _You will die with the rest of this cursed world that has taken my child._

"And so I shall."

The inquisitor raised his hammer and charged at the beast with a thundering cry.

…...

A knife dug itself into Lexandros's leg, causing him to loose balance.

"Frak! How many of these heretics are there?"

He cursed at he returned a hail of volley fire towards the cultist that threw the knife. Forschner was picking out his targets and counting his shots with his bolt pistol. Rem flung her flail over, knocking down several cultists at once.

"Rem, behind you!"

Forschner screamed as he fired upon the cultist that tried to attack her. Rem turned her bloodied face back to see that the foe was down and continued fling her flail.

"How far is the bloody manor, sir?"

Lexandros shouted over the howling of his weapon.

"Just up ahead. Come trooper! We will move through the treeline for better cover."

Just then, a ball of flame flew towards the commissar. Rem jumped in front of him with her hand out.

"Huma!"

Rem created a protective ward of water before her. The fireball dissipated, but it left a nasty burn on Rem's right hand. She groaned in pain.

"Rem?"

Forschner fired at the castor. With a deafening roar, the bolt round exploded upon contact with the cultist, shattering his skull and spraying his brains.

"It's okay, sir."

Rem raised her flail with her other hand.

"That is the true spirit of a soldier. Carry on, Rem."

Rem saw the proud look on Forschner's face. A face that can only be seen during battles. She grit her teeth and lunged towards a crowd of cultist.

"Sir!"

Lexandros called out, still raining a hail of laser fire down towards the cultists.

"I can draw their attention here. I will only drag you down if I continue. You and the abhuman can go on."

Forschner looked slightly shocked but nodded at the trooper's resolve.

"Emperor protects, trooper."

Lexandros looked as if he remembered something and drew a Krak grenade from his pouch.

"This is for the witch, sir. I was saving it, but it seems that I won't get to use it. You send her my regards."

Forschner took the grenade and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Now go, sir. I will cover your back."

Lexandros pulled the knife from his leg and laid down a volley of laser fire for cover.

"Rem! On me! Clear the path!"

Forschner charged with his bolt pistol pointed forward. Rem seemed to have understood as she darted towards the same direction.

Lexandros formed a kneeling position and continue to fire.

"Come get some you filthy heretics! I got enough battery here for all of you to share!"

Forschner and Rem moved on until the howling sound of the hot-shot volley gun was no longer heard.


	15. Chapter 15: Witch of Envy

His vision was blurry. He wiped away the blood that ran down from his forehead and spit out a glob of red mucus on the snowy field. The creature before him was a towering feline monster, at least 20 metres tall. Holtz used his thunder hammer to raise himself to his feet. He was bruised and injured, despite his power armour and Rosarius protecting him.

But neither was the creature unscathed. Its ear has been severely damage as well parts of its hands.

 _Well done, fighting me toe to toe. I commend you, mortal._

The creature swung its giant claws at the inquisitor. Holtz raised his hammer to block, but the strike threw him several metres back.

Holtz spit out even more blood.

"Not yet..." he said to himself, "I must buy him more time."

The inquisitor's eyes burned with conviction.

"DEAR GOD EMPEROR OF MANKIND! DELIVER UNTO ME THE POWER TO DO YOUR WILL!"

With a thundering cry, the inquisitor raised his hammer.

 _Useless._

The creature swung once more, only this time, the inquisitor jumped out of the way of harm.

"I have traveled weeks just to get here, creature. It would be a shame to die without making much progress."

The inquisitor jumped up towards the creature's face with his hammer swinging behind him.

"For the EMPEROR!"

He swung his hammer at the creature head.

…...

Forschner and Rem made their way towards the manor. They were greeted by the stench of burnt flesh and blood. There were several dead cultists lying around the courtyard. It appeared that there were two different factions, represented by the marks on their forehead.

"An internal conflict?" Rem wondered.

"Perhaps. The more of these heretics kill each other, the better it is," Forschner commented, satisfied at the view.

Before the two, a familiar face stopped them. Rem almost dropped to her knee. Forschner made a grim face.

"Rem. How are you?"

The pink haired maid stood before them, her dress dripping in blood. On her forehead, there was a different mark, one that Forschner recognized.

"Sister-" Rem choked out what words she can find.

"Fallen to the hands of the Dark Gods, have you?" Forschner questioned.

Ram shrugged, a crude and bloody blade on her hand.

"He asked for you as well, but I think I will bring him your skull instead."

Forschner aimed his bolt pistol, but Rem stopped him.

"Sir, this is Rem's fight. You must go on."

Forschner looked at Rem from the corner of his eyes and nodded. Ram simply smiled.

"Go on, Forschner. I will come hunting for your skull in just a bit."

Forschner withdrew his weapon and made his way towards the manor, still facing his enemy.

"Come join me when you are done, Rem. That is an order!"

Forschner ran off. Rem smiled bitterly.

"That's cruel, sir."

She whispered before raising her flail.

…...

There were no other obstacle on his way to the manor. Forschner kicked down the door and aimed his bolt pistol. There he found the girl with white hair and pointy ears, except in completely purple dress, coming down from the stairs.

Without much hesitation, Forschner fired off his bolt pistol twice.

The shots stopped before coming in contact with the witch. Her Unseen Hands stopped them.

"Welcome, Viktor. It's been a while."

She greeted him with a cold smile.

"I did not believe that this would work anyway."

Forschner cast away his empty bolt pistol to the side.

"So I hear that you were waiting for me, witch. Why?"

Forschner asked, maintaining his bravado before the abomination.

The witch gracefully walked towards him.

"My, my... Look at you, Viktor. All grown."

Forschner cringed his face.

"All grown?"

The witch smiled. It was the same face that Forschner was used to seeing. However, it was without a doubt a different person, or entity.

"Didn't you ever wonder why you were here? How you even got here?"

The witch asked, walking in circles around the commissar.

"I was indeed curious about it."

Forschner answered, observing his foe with keen eyes, watching her every movement. Despite how unguarded she seemed, she had no openings. If he made a sudden move, he would die. That much, he knew.

"Your survival aboard the _Invictus_ was no accident. It was a deal."

"What?"

Forschner stuttered.

"It was a deal. Struck upon by your mother to save your pathetic life. To spare your life there for eternity of damnation. Your soul was mine from that moment on."

The witch walked away towards the stairs, leaving the stunned commissar in place.

"It was decades ago. I was defeated and banished into the Warp, drifting away without physical form. But by design or twisted fate, a lone Imperial ship came into my view. I was so hungry that I couldn't miss it. But there I saw a young boy who shined like a lantern in the dark – you, Viktor."

The witch's smile grew even more sadistic. Her Unseen Hand stroked Forschner's hair and face.

"Your soul shined brighter than anything I've seen. I wanted it so badly. And there your parents were, so eager to offer you up for a mere decade or two of your survival. Your mother was the one to suggest letting you go."

"What do you mean my soul shined?" Forschner asked, nearly choking for words.

The witch stopped caressing his face with her Unseen Hand.

"Your presence, Viktor. Your psychic presence. You are a pysker. Why do you think every slobbering gods and their minions want a piece of you? But somehow, you've been hiding, and quite well actually. It wasn't until recently until you just came back under my radar. But it was strange..."

The witch tapped on her chin as if curious.

"I set a displacement spell on you so that your soul returns to me when you die, but instead, here you are, in your physical body, standing before me."

Forschner was in utter shock.

"If that is true, then what psychic powers do I have?"

The witch giggled like a child and shrugged.

"How are you going to ask me? I don't know. All I know is how bright you shine, Viktor."

The Witch of Envy stretched her arms out, as if to give a hug.

"Now, you have a choice. Be devoured or become my eternal servant. I won't let any other gods have you, Viktor, you are mine!"

 **This story is finally nearing the end. Next chapter will be the last, followed by an epilogue.**


	16. Chapter 16: Final Chapter

The Witch of Envy released her Unseen Hands towards the commissar. Forschner shook away at the incoming "hands".

"I will not be yours, daemon!"

The witch scoffed.

"You can struggle, but the end result is the same. You die and become mine, or you live and become mine. It is your choice. Frankly, I do not take pleasure in pain like some freak. I promise to kill you nice and painlessly, even if you were to chose death."

One word caught Forschner's attention, death.

"You said," Forschner interjected, waving away the Unseen Hands, "That I suddenly appeared. How many times did I appear?"

The witch made a strange face.

"How many times? What do you mean by that?"

Forschner smiled, regaining his usual bravado.

"I don't like your games, Viktor. I am not my master. Riddles and games do not amuse me."

Forschner reached into his pocket and made sure of the content.

"What if..." he spoke in a calm voice, "I swear my allegiance to another, for example, the angry god?"

The witch's expression twitched. Her "hands" began to move violently. Forschner removed the safety pin and raised the krak grenade. The Unseen Hand stop his arm. The witch sighed.

"Really, Viktor? That is your plan?"

Entangled by the Hands, Forschner was raised into the air.

"Granted, I realized that you weren't going to quit this easily, but did you really think that will kill me?"

Forschner made a bitter face.

"It was worth a try," he spat.

The witch shook her head and gestured at the cultists outside. In a moment, several cultists walked into, dragging a body by his arms. Forschner's eyes grew wider.

"Hello, sir. Didn't think I'd meet you again," said the body. His carapace armour was in tatters, and his blonde hair was soaked with red.

The injured Lexandros was tossed before Satella. With her numerous Hands, she raised Lexandros into the air as well.

"You were pathetic with the grenade, sir. It was supposed to be a bloody surprise. I know they don't teach ambushes where you went to school, but that was awful."

Lexandros joked as he coughed up blood. Even as he groaned, he managed to laugh at his own jokes.

"Now Viktor, say again what you planned to do. Please the Angry God?"

With that last statement, Lexandros began to scream. The Unseen Hands twisted his left arm and slowly pulled it off his body in a grueling manner.

"AaarrggghhhHH! OH DEAR EMPEROR OF MANKIND! FRAK!"

There was a gush of blood and a loud pop noise as his arm was pulled off.

"DEAR EMPEROR! AaaggHHH!"

The witch turned to Forschner, who tried to maintain his stern expression.

"Now, please Viktor. I do not like to do this, but I won't let any other gods have you. Swear your soul to me."

Forschner did not turn his gaze from Lexandros. He ground his teeth in anger.

"No!"

"He has 3 more limbs and a head, and a liver, and you get what I am trying to say."

Lexandros let out a painful groan.

"I won't last that long, you unholy filthy!" he cursed at the witch, his fresh wound still gushing with blood.

"You won't get what you want, Satella!" Forschner screamed, still holding on to the grenade in one hand.

"I really don't want to do this to you, dear. But it does feel nice when you call me by my name."

Suddenly, they felt a presence by the gate. Forschner turned around, and he almost dropped the grenade.

"By the Golden Throne, curses to you abominations," the commissar cried bitterly.

Ram appeared, holding a head by her blue hair.

"That's one skull. Now on to the next."

Satella laughed menacingly. Forschner let out a cry as visions of Rem flashed in his mind.

"Still alive, I see. I guess the Angry God did favor you."

Ram glared at Forschner, burning with uncontrollable rage.

"If you are done with him, let me have him!"

Ram pointed her bloody blade towards the commissar who was floating in midair. Satella pulled him closer to her.

"He is mine. No one else can have him."

Ram darted towards Satella, her blade drawn towards her neck. Satella did not dodge or block. She allowed Ram to dive her blade into her collar. Gushing with blood, Satella simply smiled.

"You see, Viktor? No matter what you do, you cannot harm me."

Ram growled with terrible anger, her eyes glowing red.

"Oh dear, it looks like this might become troubling if I let her be."

Several Hands grabbed Ram and ripped her body into pieces of flesh in an instant, resulting a spray of blood. Even Forschner and Lexandros were not spared from such blast.

"Now swear your soul unto me, Viktor."

"You can not, commissar!" Lexandros screamed painfully.

Satella made an angry look and pulled his leg off. An echoing scream filled the room as another limb fell helplessly from Lexandros's body.

"Satella, I will swear!"

To Satella's surprise, Forschner yelled. All eyes were pointed at Forschner.

"Commissar! You can not! You heretic!"

"Silence."

Satella covered Lexandros's mouth with her Unseen Hand.

"Now, Viktor. Continue."

"I will swear to you my soul." Forschner groaned, "But under one condition."

Satella looked at the torn storm trooper.

"Oh he won't survive for long. It's probably better to put him out of his misery."

Lexandros twitched with what strength he had left.

"Nevermind him," said Forschner, "I want to hear your name."

Satella looked at the commissar strangely.

"It's Satella, Viktor. You already knew this."

Forschner shook his head.

"No. I remember a different name. The one I've heard abroad the _Dawn Star_ before. Your true name. How can I serve you with my heart if I do not know your name?"

Satella giggled.

"Oh Viktor, you can not harm me, even with my true name known."

"Are you afraid that I will be able to harm you?" Forschner sneared. Satella cringed her face.

"Prideful, are we?"

"I was always prideful, witch. I simply changed the target of my pride from the Imperium to myself. I do not like the fact that you hold absolute control. Give me your name, and I shall swear my soul to your service."

Satella sank into thought.

"Hmmm. Fair enough. It's not like you can harm me anyway. But beware, for those who hear my name often tends to die a horrible death."

Satella whispered a name. _Al'lestal'em'ai_.

Lexandros began to twitch as blood ran down from his eyes and ears. Forschner watched in horror but did not make a sound. He awaited the same fate to overtake him, but nothing happened. Satella looked with eyes of bewilderment and made a menacing smile.

"Wow, Viktor. You are truly something. It makes me wonder what you really are..."

Forschner returned an equally menacing smile.

"I've won, _Al'lestal'em'ai_."

The ground shook. Satella grabbed her head and let out a deafening shriek. Laughters of Dark Gods were heard at the world became still. The creature stood, now a grotesque purple being with several hundreds of arms. The daemon, with his truly form unleashed, stared with hollow eyes at Forschner.

 _You fool. I gave you so many chances, all for you to throw it away like this. Forget it! I shall consume you after I chew away all your limbs._

Forschner began to laugh hysterically, but the confused yet determine daemon brought him closer towards its jaws.

"I just wanted to make sure, unholy fiend, that you gave me the right name."

The daemon paused. Its hollow eyes fixed on the upside down commissar.

"It's true that I cannot defeat you. But I do not have to."

He released his hand, followed by the sound of the spoon of the grenade hitting the floor.

"As I've said... I've won," Forschner declared with a grin.

With a thundering noise, the krak grenade went off, sending off a flash of light in the middle of the commissar's chest.

…...

A man in towering gold armour approached a building that appeared like a bar. He was an older male with short grey hair brushed to the side and a beard. He held a mechanized hammer in his right hand.

"This is the place," said Inquisitor Holtz.

"This place reeks of mutants and heretic scums," said Lexandros, standing next to the inquisitor in golden armour.

"Now, now. Let's not say that. One day, this world will also learn of the glory of the Emperor," said Holtz.

"I do not understand, my lord. This is an old, abandoned world, far from any civilized worlds. Why would anyone from the Imperial Guard-"

The man in gold armour stopped him.

"In High Gothic, Lexandros. I can't have my retinue speak in such low tongue."

"I apologize, my lord. Astra Militarum, let alone an officer of the Officio Prefectus, in this forsaken world, let alone a bar? It is not exemplary, at all."

The man in gold armour chuckled, his grey beard dancing as he laughed. He stroked his beard with his giant gloved hand.

"If my visions hold true, we shall meet him here. Otherwise, we have wasted our trip here. Now how often does my visions hold true, Lexandros?"

Lexandros stuttered for a bit.

"All the time, my lord."

The man laughed once more.

"Then hold faith in the Emperor and do as I say," said Inquisitor Holtz as stepped inside. He looked around in search of his target. A man with a long over coat and an officer's cap.

"You are finally here, just as I thought you would be. So the comet was actually your vessel, I presume," said the commissar, waving at the two. He was wearing his iconic overcoat with his hat on the table.

"Waiting, my lord? How did he-" Lexandros asked the inquisitor.

"There are more to this world that you can imagine, Lexandros," Holtz interrupted before Lexandros could finish.

The Inquisitor walked over to the commissar.

"Inquisitor Holtz. I have the true name of the abomination," Forschner said with a smile, "But you already knew all that, didn't you."

"I have foreseen it all through my visions. It is wonderful to finally meet you, my lord."

Forschner gave a confused look.

"My lord?" he repeated curiously.

Holtz smiled.

"Perhaps, you do not know everything yet. Come now, Master Forschner. The Grey Knights expect you."

"Grey Knights? I do not know what they are."

Holtz let out a booming laugh.

"Oh you will, sir. All in due time."

He gestured Forschner to follow him. Forschner got out of his chair and followed.

"Just one question, Inquisitor," said Forschner, putting his cap on.

Holtz turned curiously.

"Who told you that I'd get you the creature's name?" Forschner asked.

Holtz made a mysterious smile.

"You did, Lord Inquisitor," said Holtz, leaving Forschner stunned.

"Now come along. We must not keep the Grand Master waiting."

They continued to walk off towards the gate. Forschner saw the view of the capital one last time. The last couple of days have been a dreadful trial for the commissar. But for now, his task was done. Forschner put on a proud grin. Looking up in the sky, he saw the Emperor's glory flying above the orbit, ready to descend upon this lost world to claim it under His righteous name. However, Forschner knew in his heart. Evil has not been completely defeated, and the Dark Gods, reveling in their unholy design, continue to conspire their malicious ploy from the darkest depths of the Immaterium. His job is never done until their foul laughter is eternally silenced. A different trial awaits him, yet he was ever ready to serve his undying Lord anew, restarting life in another grim dark world... from zero.


	17. Epilogue

In a small room full of machines and candles, two people stood around a man with hollow eyes in robes. The man in robes had a staff with an emblem of an eye on top.

"It seems that they were able to find you, master," said the blue-haired female in black and white power armour. She slung a massive spiked ball on her belt.

The armour man with an black overcoat gazed at his follower, his hand on his golden bolt pistol.

"Of course they did, Rem," he told her, fiddling around with a small crest that is hanging on his neck, which formerly belonged to the commissar's cap.

"It appears that there are no changes to the past or present. The mission is complete, Lord Inquisitor Forschner," said the man in robes.

"Understood. Tell Inquisitor Holtz that he has performed outstanding. I will proceed on with the mission here. Tempus fugit."

The man repeated the message and grew silent. Only then Forschner removed his hand from his golden relic bolt pistol. Rem opened the door. The storm troopers guarding the room gave a salute.

"Carry on, troopers," Forschner said with a raspy voice.

"You still remind me of a commissar, sir," Rem joked, making a silent giggle.

"It's lord inquisitor," Forschner corrected, without softening his expression.

"Yes, master."

Forschner let out a sigh.

"One day, I will make you address me proper."

A man ran up to Rem and Forschner to give a report.

"Lord Inquisitor, the heretical guards are mostly cleared by the 22nd Lugnican Regiment 'Dragons' Company under Captain Uriah of House Karsten. The target heretic and a few of his guards barred themselves in where the device is believed to be hidden."

Forschner nodded.

"Well done. You can tell the captain to have his men secure the perimeter but do not enter. The Inquisition will take it from here. Please send my gratitude to Queen Emilia for lending her planetary defense force."

"Roger, my lord."

The guardsman took a quick bow and ran back in a hurry.

"So we finally have him," said Rem, clenching her fist.

Forschner made a slight smile.

…...

"Is the device ready?" yelled the noble with a painted face.

His servants hastily ran around a strange device emitting green light. It was an ancient Xenos technology.

"Almost, my lord!" answered one of his servants.

Suddenly the barricaded door tore open. A giant flail emitting a blue field came flying in.

"A power flail... Haha. Nice touch, Rem," said the noble.

Forschner entered with his weapon drawn. He fired several rounds, leaving all of the servants dead on the floor with shattered heads.

"It's over, Roswaal. The Holy Order of the Emperor's Inquisition is end to put an end to your heresy!" Forschner shouted.

Roswaal spawned several coloured orbs around him. He sent all his orbs at the inquisitor. But to his surprise, they all managed to miss.

"Unfortunately, Roswaal," said Forschner, dusting his coat, "You are against the odds. Hundreds of guardsmen have this area surrounded. You can not win."

Forschner pointed his weapon at the heretic.

"Xenos technology to send someone back in time. How heretical," Forschner spat, looking at the device with eyes of disgust.

"Depend on who uses it. But of course, it's only heresy if I use it, correct? Lapdog of the corpse emperor."

Roswaal drew his bolt pistol. Forschner did not flinch, as if he expected it.

"My master has plans for you, Forschner. You just can't see it yet. The Prince of Pleasure awaits you!"

Roswaal laughed as fired a single bolt round. Forschner moved his head to the side and fired, splattering the heretic's brains on the wall behind him. Roswaal's body went limp and fell to the ground helplessly. Forschner withdrew his relic bolt pistol.

"That one got me last time..." he whispered regrettably.

"Filthy scum," muttered Rem, staring at the heretic's disfigured corpse.

Forschner observed the machine.

"Rem. You can destroy that machine. Leave no trace of it."

Rem nodded. She flung her power flail into the machine, shattering into pieces.

…...

Rem and Forschner made their way out the building. The guardsmen ran in to secure the building along with Inquisitorial Storm Troopers. A woman who appeared to be an inquisitor approached them.

"This is absolutely unbelievable! This is our matter. The Ordo Hereticus have been hunting this man for years," said the inquisitor.

"And so were the Ordo Xenos when they discovered the stolen Xenos technology. Yet this issue became under the jurisdiction of Ordo Chronos when we have learned that the device can alter the course of time."

"Until recently, I was told that Ordo Chronos has been dissolved. How-"

Forschner laughed, interrupting the inquisitor.

"Inquisitor. We have been after this man far longer than you can imagine, if we view this under your superficial perception of time. Our duties are eliminating faulty timelines and correcting altered histories. But our duties are better kept secret to those who do not need to know."

The inquisitor fell silent, looking at Forschner's rosette.

"Oh. And address me as Lord Inquisitor if we meet again, which I presume will not happen."

Forschner flashed his special rosette.

…...

When they arrived at the metropolis of Lugnica, Rem took a deep breath in. The air was foul compared to how she remembered it. City was crowded than ever before, with a lot more humans. The number of abhumans dwindled, as most were put into abhuman auxilia army. However, Lugnica was a lot more forgiving towards abhumans than any other worlds known to the Imperium.

"It's so different here, Rem can not believe its home," she said.

Forschner agreed.

"Of course. It has been almost fifty years in linear time."

"A lot has happened since then..." Rem murmured, reminiscing of the past. Then, the market came into her view.

"Sir?"

"It's Lord Inquisitor."

"Do you want an apple, master?" Rem asked hopefully, pointing at a fruit vendor.

Forschner sighed.

"We must hurry our ways towards the vessel. There is an issue around Charadon Sector. A spawn likely originating from Hadex Anomoly has altered the history of time. The Ordo is in the middle of an internal conflict over the timelines that has been altered, so they have asked us to resolve this issue on our own. Tempus fugit, Rem."

Rem still glossed over the apple. Forschner shook his head.

"I suppose one apple would not affect our 'time'," he said with a disgruntled voice.

 **The story is finally done. I am definitely more versed on 40K lore than Re: Zero lore, so I geared the story a lot towards that direction. I thank you all for reading this story, especially those who waited a year for an update. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Once again, thank you. And happy holidays!**


End file.
